Southport missing mum Marion Barter inquest resumes in Byron

The inquest heard the secret lover of the missing mum left for Europe days after she did and even stayed at the same hotel she had written to her family from.

A “slip” revelation by her alleged conman lover has dominated the resumption of the inquest into missing mum Marion Barter.

Ms Barter, a Southport schoolteacher, 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 with her name changed to Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel, but her family never heard from her again.

Byron Bay hearings of an inquest into her disappearance resumed on Wednesday.

The Northern NSW hearing has previously centred on her purported Belgian-born secret lover Ric Blum, who used the alias Fernand Remakel among others.

The inquest had heard in February Mr Blum was a man with international fraud convictions and allegedly scammed several women across NSW.

No charges have ever been laid in the case or against Mr Blum.

The inquest had heard Mr Blum had a short relationship in the 1960s with Ms Barter that was later rekindled in 1997 towards her Europe trip.

Despite Mr Blum telling the NSW state Coroner Theresa Sullivan in February that he became reacquainted with Ms Barter when she placed a newspaper ad seeking companionship, Mr Blum told her on Wednesday it was him who placed the ad.

It was evidence described as a “slip” in Mr Blum’s story by Counsel Assisting Adam Casselden SC.

“Which version do you wish to stand on today Mr Blum?,” he said.

“You seem to be going around in circles with the greatest respect Mr Blum. You seem to be blowing in the wind which version you want to tie your colours to.”

Mr Blum told the court between February and April hearings he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease as to explain why his both his NSW Police interview, February evidence and Wednesday evidence did not align.

“I’m not right in my head but I am for certain she answered the ad,” he said

“Marion Barter’s family is present in this courtroom if there is something you wish to get off your chest … Now is an opportune time I suggest,” Mr Casselden told Mr Blum.

The court had heard previously from allegedly conned ex-lovers of Mr Blum’s who were similarly lured in with newspaper ads for companionship.

Mr Blum told the court it was likely Ms Barter would have known him as Ric Remakel.

In a turn of “incredible coincidence” the court also heard that Ms Barter and Mr Blum departed Australia within days of each other and likely stayed at the same Japanese hotel, Hotel Nikko Narita.

Ms Barter had penned a letter to family members using Nikko Narita hotel stationary.

When asked if Mr Blum saw Ms Barter at Hotel Nikko Narita Mr Blum said “maybe I did, I can’t remember”.

“Did you tell her a tale of starting a new life in Luxembourg as your wife, with your name, the alias Remakel?” Mr Casselden suggested.

“Another coincidence?”

Mr Blum denied that was the case and claimed Ms Barter must have gotten hold of his Remakel licence.

Mr Casselden said Mr Blum had opened a safe deposit envelope in October 1997 for the period of 13 days.

It was opened on October 14, a day before a $80,000 transaction was made from Marion Barter’s account.

“Do you maintain that you had nothing to do with Marion Barter’s account and maintain on oath that you did not receive any money from Marion Barter? Mr Casselden said.

“I’m sorry but I never had such an amount,” Mr Blum replied.

“(I) never had any money from Marion.”

He said had not seen her since she left Wollongbar home in June 1997.

Marion Barter's daughter Sally Leydon has worked tirelessly to find out what happened to her mum. as her inquest resumed on Wednesday, April 27. Picture: Tessa Flemming

He said he’d met her about three to four times before she left for Europe and that Ms Barter asked him to hold tea-chests in storage after they had broken up three weeks before she headed to Europe.

He told the court she later picked them up in June 1997 after they were dropped off by a delivery company.

It was something Mr Casselden again claimed Mr Blum was “making up” noting Mr Blum’s 2021 police interview where he said Ms Barter had rung him to discuss holding the boxes.

Mr Blum replied that he never gave his phone number to Ms Barter for fear of his family finding out.

“A reasonable person may find it implausible Marion Barter would lean on you . when she had a number of others who could have taken storage on the Gold Coast,” Mr Casselden said.

“For a man who has given evidence about avoiding the potential risk of a family drama, do you agree it was rather careless to agree to take the belongings of a woman who you recently had an extramarital affair with?

“Did you concoct this story to give cover by nominating another individual who might have been with her three weeks before leaving Australia?:

Mr Blum agreed it was careless but denied it was a concocted story.

The inquest will resume on Thursday.