Former Tyrrell top cop Gary Jubelin denies threatening ex-suspect

The former lead detective in the William Tyrrell disappearance has denied he ever threatened to “ruin” a one-time suspect, a court has heard.

Former William Tyrrell top cop Gary Jubelin has denied he threatened to “ruin” a one-time suspect in the toddler’s disappearance and sarcastically referred to him as “Mr Nice Washing Machine man”, a court has heard.

The ex-NSW Police detective spent the past two days on the stand in the NSW Supreme Court as a key witness as part of Bill Spedding’s lawsuit against the state of NSW for malicious prosecution.

Mr Spedding was at one time in 2015 the focus of the investigation into William’s disappearance from his foster grandmother’s home at Kendall on the NSW Mid-North Coast.

Amid the investigation, Mr Spedding was also charged over unrelated historical sexual assault allegations regarding two girls in the 1980s.

He is arguing he was arrested and faced trial in an effort by police to apply pressure on him, which they could leverage as part of the Tyrrell investigation.

His home and business were raided in January 2015, and several months later he was charged with historical sexual assault allegations, before he was ultimately cleared by a District Court judge in 2018.

His lawyers have argued before Justice Ian Harrison that police were aware the claims had previously been discounted in another court and that the girls were pressured by adults to make up the allegations.

Gary Jubelin arrives at the NSW Supreme Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dylan Coker

Mr Spedding’s barrister Adrian Canceri on Tuesday read from a progress report prepared by Mr Jubelin for police hierarchy which spelled out the plan for the Tyrell investigation at the time.

In it he referred to arresting and charging Mr Spedding on historical sexual offences and tendering documents to the court so he would be bail refused.

But Mr Jubelin denied that amounted to an attempt to apply pressure to Mr Spedding.

Instead, he described it as a horse-and-cart situation — he, at the time, knew Mr Spedding was about to be charged with historical sexual assault offences and once he was in custody planned to use that to his advantage, Mr Jubelin said.

He argued Mr Spedding would not have been charged if it wasn’t supported by evidence.

Mr Spedding’s lawyers also pointed to an extract from Mr Jubelin’s book I Catch Killers in which he referred to Mr Spedding’s wife Margaret as having “suffered greatly”.

“But this is a murder investigation. Justice is what matters here, not injury,” Mr Jubelin wrote in his book.

However, Mr Jubelin denied that was an admission that charging Mr Spedding was an attempt to exert pressure on him or a “strategy”.

“I strongly deny that the charging of Mr Spedding was done for the purpose of a strategy,” Mr Jubelin said.

“I’ve explained why Mr Spedding was charged. He was charged and then there was a time to use it.”

Mr Spedding’s lawyers pointed to an extract from Mr Jubelin’s book in which he referred to Mr Spedding’s wife Margaret as having “suffered greatly”. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nikki Short

Mr Spedding was linked to the Tyrrell case because he visited William’s foster grandmother’s home three days before the three-year-old was last seen alive in September 2014.

Police initially questioned his alibi about being at a school assembly, but it was later confirmed at an inquest into William’s disappearance.

During the course of the investigation, listening devices were implanted in Mr Spedding’s home at Bonny Hills, south of Port Macquarie, the court heard.

Mr Jubelin also said police had in April 2015 applied for another listening device that could be “utilised” once Mr Spedding was in custody at Port Macquarie police station on the historical sexual assault charges.

Following Mr Spedding’s police interview, upon his arrest for the sexual assault charges, Mr Jubelin walked into the room and spoke to the whitegoods repair man, the court heard.

William Tyrrell went missing in 2014. Photo: Supplied

Mr Canceri asked Mr Jubelin whether he had asked Mr Spedding in front of other officers: “How would you dispose of a body?”

“I don’t believe I said that,” Mr Jubelin said.

He was further asked whether he had said words to the effect of: “Mr Nice Washing Machine Man, I am going to ruin you.”

“I made no threats to Mr Spedding. I know the parameters I can work in in the interview room. I made no threats,” Mr Jubelin said.

Justice Harrison will deliver his judgment at a later date.

Originally published as Former Tyrrell top cop Gary Jubelin denies threatening ex-suspect