How foster mother became the focus of the William Tyrrell investigation

William Tyrrell’s foster mother was the focus of police inquiries and they believed she’d dumped his body in bushland, a senior detective revealed in court.

In November last year, police began a fresh dig in and around the sleepy NSW Mid North Coast town of Kendall, determined to find any evidence pointing to the whereabouts of missing toddler William Tyrrell.

The three-year-old in the Spider Man suit with the megawatt smile captured the heart of a nation after he disappeared from his foster grandmother’s home on September 2, 2014.

For eight long years, it has been the country’s most high profile cold case.

In mid last year, the findings of a coronial inquest into the mystery were delayed, as police said they had zeroed in on a new person of interest.

Police began searching bushland in and around William’s foster grandmother’s home as well as digging up the garden bed on her property.

Then-NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told 2GB at the time: “There is certainly one person in particular that we are looking closely at.”

In court this week, a senior detective revealed that police believed William’s foster mother knew where William was buried.

The woman – who cannot be identified or named – strongly denied the allegation that she had anything to do with the little boy’s disappearance.

The bombshell revelation was aired in court this week – the first time police had made such a statement publicly – as the woman was found not guilty by a magistrate of lying to the NSW Crime Commission.

William Tyrrell’s foster mother was this week found not guilty of lying to the NSW Crime Commission. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper.

William Tyrrell went missing from his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall, NSW. Picture: Supplied

“NEVER”

Following a one-day hearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, the foster mother was on Friday found not guilty of lying to the NSW Crime Commission.

The highly secretive Crime Commission hearing took place in November last year and was aimed at aiding police by uncovering new evidence in the Tyrrell investigation.

It was alleged the foster mother lied during the Crime Commission hearing, when she denied ever hitting a child – who was not William Tyrrell – with a wooden spoon.

She pleaded not guilty to a charge of knowingly giving false or misleading evidence before ultimately being acquitted on Friday.

Last year, police planted listening devices in her home and car, as well as setting up phone taps, the court heard.

The court was played audio from one of the bugs, in which a child could be heard sobbing and saying “no” and “please”.

It was alleged by police that the audio picked up an incident in which the child was struck with a wooden spoon.

Phone taps played to the court also heard her telling her husband that she had hit the child “really hard with that wooden spoon” and “she’s going to have a massive welt on her leg, she didn’t even cry”.

During her evidence before the Crime Commission, the foster mother said she “never” hit the child with a wooden spoon.

In other evidence, the woman admitted that on other occasions she had hit and kicked the child.

William Tyrrell has been the subject of the country’s most high profile missing persons case. Picture: NSW Police.

“YOU THINK THAT I DID THAT?”

However, Magistrate Miranda Moody on Friday found she could not find beyond a reasonable doubt that the woman had knowingly lied.

For two full days the foster mother was grilled before the Crime Commission about serious allegations – an ordeal Ms Moody said would have been “gruelling”.

She said the mother had made full and frank disclosures about other allegations.

The court heard that during the Crime Commission hearing, counsel assisting Sophie Callan put the allegation to the foster mother that William died when he fell from the veranda of his foster grandmother’s home.

“William went around on the veranda and toppled over and it was nobody’s fault,” Ms Callan said during the Crime Commission hearing, the court heard this week.

“It was an accident that he fell down off that veranda.”

The court heard the foster mother responded: “No, I would have found him.”

She was then pressed on whether she had taken William’s body, put him in her mother’s car and dumped it in nearby bushland.

“I didn’t,” she repeatedly told the Crime Commission.

The Local Court heard that she made vigorous denials of having any knowledge of William’s disappearance and became tearful when the allegations were put to her.

“You think that I did that?” she told the Crime Commission, the court heard this week.

The foster mother has never been charged in relation to William’s disappearance.

Police last year returned to dig in and around Kendall. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer.

Strike Force Rosann detectives searched scrub off Batar Creek Rd, less than 900m from the William Tyrrell's foster grandmother’s home at Kendall. Picture: Trevor Veale.

“WE AREN’T BLUFFING”

The court also heard details of a heated confrontation between the foster mother and two police officers involved in the case.

The court heard that Sergeant Scott Jamieson told the woman in October last year: “You will have to live with it. Today is the day you make a decision for William.

“We understand decisions have been made for different people for different reasons.

“We aren’t guessing, we aren’t bluffing.

“We know why, we know how, we know where he is.”

Under cross examination from defence barrister John Stratton, Detective Sergeant Andrew Lonergan told the court he believed that the foster mother was aware of where William was buried.

Sergeant Lonergan told the court he believed William had been buried on the corner of Batar Creek Rd and Cobb and Co Rd, on the outskirts of Kendall.

The area was scoured by police and forensic experts during a renewed search of the tiny town last year.

William’s body was not found.

“I’ve formed the view that (the foster mother) knows where William Tyrrell is,” Sergeant Lonergan told the court.

The foster mother of William Tyrrell speaks to media after being found not guilty. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift.

Former homicide detective Gary Jubelin was present in court during the foster mother’s hearing this week. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper.

“FOCUS ON FINDING WILLIAM”

Ms Moody noted it was never alleged that the foster mother had been violent towards William or harmed him.

Rather police and the Crime Commission had questioned her as to whether William had died as the result of an accident and she had dumped his body.

“She’s clearly aghast at the allegation she had anything to do with the disappearance of her foster child,” Ms Moody said on Friday.

After being acquitted inside the Downing Centre, the foster mother was embraced by Gary Jubelin, the high profile former detective who previously led the Tyrrell homicide investigation.

“Her honour has given a detailed judgment today about the circumstances surrounding this charge being brought against me,” the foster mother said outside court, holding back tears.

“She’s found me not guilty of lying to the crime commission.

“With this behind me, I hope that police focus on finding William and what happened to him.”

Originally published as How foster mother became the focus of the William Tyrrell investigation