‘He was with me’: Spedding’s wife gives alibi for time Tyrrell taken
Whitegoods repairman Bill Spedding — who was questioned over the suspected abduction of William Tyrrell — has told a NSW inquest he was drinking coffee with his wife when the child vanished.
NSW
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A tradesman questioned over the suspected abduction of William Tyrrell has told a NSW inquest he was drinking coffee with his wife when the child vanished.
White goods repairman Bill Spedding was called by the three-year-old’s foster mother on the day he went missing from his grandmother’s Kendall garden in 2014.
He’d visited the house days earlier to get a quote for the foster grandma’s broken washing machine and was asked when a missing part would be delivered.
Mr Spedding denies any involvement with the disappearance of the boy in the Spider-man suit, saying he’s done everything to assist police and wishes the coroner “all wisdom in getting to the bottom of this mystery.”
“Obviously the police investigation and the media interest in my and Margaret’s movements have had a devastating impact on my life, my family’s life and livelihood,” he said outside the NSW Coroner’s Court.
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“I know what I’ve been through is nothing compared to what William’s families are going through now.”
Homicide detectives believe William was snatched from Kendall between 10.05am and 10.20am on September 12, 2014.
On Monday both Mr Spedding and his wife testified that they got coffee 20 minutes away in Laurieton that morning from 9.30am until 10.20am.
Mr Spedding said he drove two child relatives to his office at 8.30am and then walked them up to the local primary school, before returning for “phone calls, communications, computer work until about 9.30am.”
He then left to meet his wife at a cafe opposite the school before the pair attended an assembly to support a family member who was receiving an award, the court heard.
A Cafe Buzz receipt for two cappuccinos, a croissant and a tart bought at 9.42am matched their joint bank account statement, the court heard.
Earlier Mr Spedding’s wife Margaret corroborated her husband’s version of events, saying they’d attended the assembly until lunchtime where the children performed the song Hallelujah.
Laurieton local Gordon Wiegold has previously told the inquest he saw Mr Spedding at an assembly where the kids’ rendition of Hallelujah nearly brought him to tears.
Outside court, Mr Spedding’s solicitor Peter O’Brien said he would consider suing the NSW Police Force.
In a February 2015 police video played to the court, Mrs Spedding took police former lead detective Gary Jubelin through her movements at the assembly that day.
“You’re sure Bill was with you?” Mr Jubelin asked.
“Yes,” she said.
“You understand the importance of what we’re investigating … what makes you confident that Bill was here?” Mr Jubelin asked.
“I know he was. He was here with me. You’re saying he was not. He was,” Mrs Spedding said.
By that point police had already raided Mr Spedding’s rural home and office, and Mrs Spedding expressed her dismay that his name had become linked to the baffling mystery.
“We’re in shock when this all took place, we couldn’t believe what had happened to us,” she said in the video.
“The shock actually kicked in more, when they took Bill away. When they come and just landed on our doorstep.”
The inquest continues.