Marion Barter coronial inquest resumes in Byron Bay

Another woman connected to missing mum Marion Barter’s purported secret lover has revealed how he allegedly convinced her to sign over power of attorney, an inquest has heard.

Another woman connected to missing mum Marion Barter’s purported secret lover has revealed how he allegedly convinced her to sign over power of attorney before he lost her identification details overseas.

An inquest into the disappearance and suspected death of Marion Barter, who vanished 25 years ago, has resumed in Byron Bay Local Court.

The Gold Coast woman and ex-wife of Australian soccer great Johnny Warren was last seen by her family in June 1997, days before she flew overseas for what was meant to be a year-long holiday in the UK and Europe.

She flew back into Australia in August 1997 under the name Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel but Ms Barter’s family never heard from their relative again.

Investigations later revealed Ms Barter changed her name to Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel in May, resigned from her job as a schoolteacher and sold her house before she went overseas.

Police previously concluded Ms Barter purposefully went missing and wanted to start a new life.

Inquest hearings on Thursday and Friday focused on an alleged secret lover of Ms Barter’s who lived in Northern NSW.

The man, Ric Blum, allegedly had multiple aliases including Richard Lloyd Westbury, Frederick de Hedervary, Willie Wouters and Fernand Remakel.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Adam Casselden, said Mr Blum denied having any contact with Ms Barter on her return to Australia.

Marion Barter and her two children Sally and Owen.

Changed names, dyed hair

Witness and former Woodburn resident Janet Oldenburg told the inquest she first met the man, known to her at the time as Rick West, through her ex-husband in 1996 at coin auctions in Ballina.

When Ms Oldenburg divorced her husband in 1998 she became close to Mr West.

When her settlement was finalised in September 1999, Ms Oldenburg said Mr West allegedly asked her to start life afresh with him in the French Riviera, which Mr Casselden said Mr West had denied to police.

The pair travelled to London in December 1999 but prior to the trip Mr West changed his name to Rich Richards, Ms Oldenburg told the inquest.

During that time, Ms Oldenburg told the inquest he convinced herto sign over power of attorney to him, telling her it would “take care of her” if anything happened to him and Ms Oldenburg did not realise this meant he could sign documents on her behalf.

Mr West also allegedly asked Ms Oldenburg to dye her hair from brunette to blonde before taking passport photos.

Ms Oldenburg told the court she was under the belief Mr West was a millionaire even though they travelled in economy and stayed in small rooms.

Prior to leaving she told the court Mr West allegedly convinced her to bury her valuable jewellery in the backyard including her wedding ring and her grandmother’s wedding and engagement rings.

She said Mr West also convinced her to bring the title deeds to her Woodburn house, her birth certificate, Australian citizenship certificate, power of attorney, marriage certificate, keys to her house and $1000 on the trip- which Ms Oldenburg told the court she did in the belief it would be used to purchase a property overseas.

Missing woman Marion Barter and her daughter Sally Leydon. Picture: Supplied

Overseas abandonment

The inquest heard the pair left bags in the Amsterdam airport days before Mr West had to urgently leave for Brussels and France for business, arranging for Ms Oldenburg to stay with Manchester family.

Mr West later called her to say he’d been beaten and robbed in Lille and all her personal documents and house keys had been stolen, according to Mr Casselden.

Ms Oldenburg told the court she arrived back to her Woodburn home on December 20 without Mr West but within hours he appeared at the home, appearing shocked to see her.

The next day he later handed back her house keys claiming the French police had found them, and gave the title deed back which she placed in a filing cabinet, the inquest heard.

Missing jewels

However, Ms Oldenberg told the court she later found the deed missing which made her suspicious of Mr West as he’d been the only person in the house.

The jewellery she believed to be buried was also not in the backyard, she told the court.

Ms Oldenburg told the court she later heard from Mr West who said he’d returned the jewellery, but despite receiving some, she allegedly never received her silver necklace and grandmother’s engagement ring.

Mr Casselden put to Ms Oldenburg that Mr Blum had told police he had given everything back and that her house keys were also buried in the yard- causing Ms Oldenburg to laugh.

“He didn’t,” she told the court.

Ms Oldenburg was shown a photo of Mr Blum to which she responded: “That’s definitely him that’s Rick West, Richard.”

The inquest will resume on February 14 before Ballina Local Court where Ric Blum is expected to appear.