Missing mum Marion Barter had $14k in bank when she vanished: court

Mother-of-three Marion Barter, who vanished 22 years ago had thousands of dollars in her bank account when she vanished, an inquest has heard.

A schoolteacher who mysteriously vanished left behind thousands of dollars in her bank account, a NSW inquest has heard.

The puzzling disappearance of mother-of-three Marion Barter — who changed her name to Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel without her family or friends knowing — is being examined by the NSW Coroner’s Court.

The award-winning schoolteacher married and divorced three men including soccer great Johnny Warren.

Marion Barter went missing 22 years ago.

The Gold Coast teacher left for a year-long working holiday to England in July 1977, and was never seen again, but her family learned her passport was used to return to the country just three weeks later.

A number of unusual transactions from August 2, 1997 were conducted on her CommBank accounts in NSW and QLD.

Her last known transaction was a withdrawal of $80,000 from Ashmore, QLD, on October 5, 1997.

The court heard Marion also left behind an unspecified superannuation amount.

CommBank investigations manager Graeme Smith told the court he contacted NSW Police after hearing a 7 NEWS podcast probing the case.

Marion Barter and her two children Sally and Owen.

This was the first case in his 27 years in the role where someone had “vanished” leaving such a large sum of money.

Council assisting the Coroner, Adam Casselden SC, asked Mr Smith at Lidcombe Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, “Have you ever come across a case like this before when someone simply just vanishes?”

“No,” Mr Smith replied. “To vanish and leave, I suppose, money in accounts … the unclaimed 14 odd thousand, that‘s a little bit more unusual. None that fit this frame where large sums of money are left over.”

Because of the time passed Mr Smith was unable to locate all of Marion’s transactions, with the bank erasing a customer’s account after seven years.

Marion Barter, left with her daughter Sally Leydon.

Marion Barter went missing 22 years ago.

Betty Brown, from the Salvation Army tracing unit, told the family in March, 1998, Marion attended a bank on October 15, 1997 and “spoke of starting a new life”, the court heard.

Ms Brown told the court she learned of the details after a “lengthy conversation” with the Police Missing Persons Unit, who she suspected had spoken to the bank manager.

When asked about this in court on Tuesday, Ms Brown could not recall the letter from more than 20 years ago.

The court also heard on Tuesday, Marion’s daughter Sally Leydon thought it sounded as if her mother was in an airport, the last time they spoke on July 31, 1997.

Marion told Sally she was calling from Tonbridge, England, ringing three times from a payphone as the money kept running out.

Sally asked for a number to reach her mother on, but was not provided one.

Optometrist Dean Michael Evans, the last known to see Marion alive on August 13, told the inquest he does not remember Marion.

Government records show she visited the Grafton centre, which has since closed, on August 13, 1997.

Optometrist Dean Michael Evans, the last known to see Marion alive on August 13, told the inquest he does not remember Marion.

Government records show she visited the Grafton centre, which has since closed, on August 13, 1997.

The inquest is due to run for two weeks in Sydney, Ballina and Byron Bay before Magistrate Teresa O’Sullivan.