Louis Bengoa lied about driving buggy because he was scared of drink driving charge
The best friend of a man killed in the Alva Beach double stabbing lied on his police statements because he was worried about being fined for drink driving.
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The best friend of a man killed in the Alva Beach double stabbing lied on his police statements because he was worried about being fined for drink driving.
Louis Bengoa admitted during his evidence on the fourth day of the Alva Beach inquest that he lied to police about what happened the night his friend Corey Christensen and Thomas Davy were stabbed by Dean Webber.
In court on Thursday, Mr Bengoa claimed privilege, but the Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley overruled.
In his initial police interview on October 1, Mr Bengoa made no mention of a buggy ride with Candice Locke, he told the inquest his reasoning behind this was because he was afraid of getting done for drink driving.
His version of events and that of Ms Locke’s are at loggerheads, with Mr Bengoa telling the inquest he arrived at Mr Webber’s home with Mr Davy and Mr Christensen on the morning of October 1, 2018, looking for Ms Locke.
Mr Bengoa said Ms Locke had run off after she fell off the buggy and ran out of sight.
He then told the inquest he drove back to the empty block where the NRL Grand Final party was still going. He picked up Mr Christensen and on the way back to find Ms Locke, he told the inquest they happened across Mr Davy who was asleep in his car, he then joined them in the buggy.
The group then went to a home that turned out to be Mr Webber’s to find Ms Locke.
He said Mr Davy and Mr Christensen walked up to the door and were yelling out for Ms Locke, saying they never called out threats to Mr Webber or called him names, unlike what Mr Webber said in a walk-through of the scene with police.
Mr Bengoa said he heard Mr Webber tell him to get off his property, but didn’t know why he didn’t leave.
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Mr Bengoa said he walked around the side of the Topton Street home to urinate and in that time the two men had been stabbed.
“Next minute Tom’s running out … ‘call the ambulance’,” Mr Bengoa said in a recorded interview when police arrived at the scene.
He told police he didn’t know CPR, and didn’t have his phone to call triple-0 as it was in his buggy down the road.
Mr Bengoa said he wasn’t “thinking clearly” enough to call emergency crews. He admits to being very intoxicated on the night.
Originally published as Louis Bengoa lied about driving buggy because he was scared of drink driving charge