NRL star Nicho Hynes’ mother Julie Hynes faces trial over alleged heroin supply at Blackwall home
The co-accused in the heroin supply trial of NRL star Nicho Hynes’ mum said he went to Julie’s house for a “root” before being exposed to “s**t” that made him sick, a court has heard.
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The trial of NRL star Nicho Hynes’ mum continues with a jury hearing about the fingerprints on a hydraulic press found in Julie Hynes’s bathroom which was allegedly used to pack heroin.
And a co-accused claimed in a police interview that he was simply at the premises for a sexual encounter with Ms Hynes and knew nothing about the drugs, a court has heard.
Ms Hynes appeared before Gosford District Court on Thursday as her trial into the alleged supply of heroin continued before Judge David Wilson.
Co-accused Michael Selvage, 59, is also facing trial over the alleged supply of heroin on May 25 2021 in Blackwall on the NSW Central Coast.
Both have pleaded not guilty to one count each of knowingly taking part in heroin supply.
Nicho Hynes, reigning Dally M player of the year and Cronulla halfback, accompanied his mum to court for the first time on Wednesday however has not attended any other day of the trial.
Investigations into the alleged supply started following the death of Luke Murphy, 29, at Ms Hynes’ granny flat in Commonwealth Ave on May 25 2021 as a result of an alleged accidental heroin overdose.
Ms Hynes and Mr Selvage were at the house at the time of Mr Murphy’s death, however there is no suggestion they had anything to do with his death.
The 12 person jury has been shown crime scene images of a 226kg hydraulic press located in Ms Hynes’s bathroom which the Crown says Mr Murphy used to package heroin before his death.
On Thursday, the jury watched the police interview of Mr Selvage following his arrest on May 27 2021.
Mr Selvage continued to say to officers that he didn’t understand why he was arrested.
“I don’t touch heroin,” he told the officer.
“I don't know anything about it. I didn’t supply nothing.”
Mr Selvage told officers he was sleeping at Ms Hynes’ house when Mr Murphy died however he does not live there.
When asked by the officers why he was there, he said “Julie rang me to come over to have a root so I was there” however later said that Ms Hynes was trying to find a bolt and needed his help. He said they did not have sex.
He said Mr Murphy picked him up and took him to Ms Hynes’ house and, after a few trips to another friend’s house to find a metal bolt, he gave it to Mr Murphy who took it into the bathroom.
“I didn’t care what he was doing,” he said.
Mr Selvage said while he was at Ms Hynes’ house, he was exposed to something that made him sick.
“I was exposed to this shit … it was in the air. I don’t know how it happened, I passed out. It made me so sick. I don’t know what they had done,” he said.
During the police interview, Mr Selvage said he became sick after going to the bathroom.
“I went to have a piss in the bathroom … there was a f**king big red thing in the way. I moved it out of the way,” he said.
He said he swept up some “stuff” in the bathroom.
“All this “s**t” everywhere and I swept it up … I didn’t know what it was at the time,” he said.
Mr Selvage said he found out it was heroin from Mr Murphy who he said had been “coughing and spluttering the whole time”.
Mr Selvage told the officers he became sick after going to the bathroom.
“I had to lay down and I couldn’t move, I couldn’t function. Julie was in bed,” he said.
“Next thing I woke up to Julie saying ‘what’s going on, call an ambulance’. I heard someone gurgling. She found him (Mr Murphy) on the floor.”
Mr Selvage also said he had seen a NutriBullet blender on the washing machine which was in the bathroom.
The court had previously heard a NutriBullet had been found in the backyard containing a white substance.
Gregory Flanders, who had known Ms Hynes for nine months before the incident through the Aboriginal community, gave evidence on Thursday.
He told the court he visited Ms Hynes on May 25 after receiving a “frantic” call from her at 12.46pm asking for his help and the use of his “muscles”.
He said Ms Hynes looked “frantic and nervous” and when he entered the house he saw a man on the lounge gurgling and “not looking too flash” before asking Ms Hynes to call an ambulance.
Mr Flanders tried to revive the man until the ambulance arrived. The court heard that Mr Murphy was pronounced dead at 1.55pm.
Mr Flanders told the court when he asked Ms Hynes what happened or if the man had been on anything, she said “I don’t know what it is, he was on a bender”.
Fingerprint expert Sergeant Lee Whiting gave evidence regrading positive fingerprint identifications on certain items around Ms Hynes’ house.
He confirmed that there were fingerprints on the hydraulic press belonging to Ms Hynes, Mr Selvage and the deceased Mr Murphy.
Ms Hynes’ defence team said the fingerprints may have been used to steady herself on the machine as well as clarifying that the fingerprints could have been there before the machine was assembled.
A forensic analyst gave evidence regarding heroin she had analysed from the scene. She analysed 173.4g of heroin found in a dustpan which had 57 per cent purity, as well as heroin on the bathroom floor which added up to 7.4g and had 50 per cent purity along with dimethyl sulfone which is used as a cutting agent.
Another forensic analyst Daniel Moawad, who tested clothing from the scene for drugs, gave evidence that a white towel, T-shirt and pants taken from Mr Selvage contained traces of heroin and substances used in the production of heroin.
A set of blue shorts from Mr Murphy also contained heroin and the by-products.
NSW Ambulance paramedic Christopher Heiner was at the scene on May 25 and gave evidence that Ms Hynes was upset “pale, pasty and drowsy” after losing her friend.
He told the court she informed them she had a history of anxiety, depression and hypertension.
Mr Heiner told the court Mr Selvage told him he had taken ‘ice’ however he said he appeared heroin affected.
The trial continues.
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