Naked and alone in the bush: Court hears of Kowanyama mum’s disappearance

The Cairns Coroner’s Court has pored over the last known movements of a young Kowanyama mother who went missing from the Archer River eight years ago on the second day of an inquest.

THE Cairns Coroner’s Court has pored over different versions of the last known movements of a young Kowanyama mother who went missing from the Archer River eight years ago on the second day of an inquest.

Allison Neridine Bernard, 23-years-old and mother to two children, was last seen at the Archer River Quarry on the night of February 10, 2013.

No trace of her has ever been found.

The court previously heard it was Archer River Quarry caretaker Thomas Byrnes who was the last to see Ms Bernard alive.

The inquest is seeking to determine whether or not Ms Bernard was dead, and if so, when and where she died and what caused her death.

The inquest had previously heard evidence that Mr Byrnes, after drinking with Ms Bernard at the Exchange Hotel in Coen, intended to take her to the quarry on the night of February 10 to “look after her”.

Giving evidence in court on Wednesday, Archer River Roadhouse co-owner Elsie Allan recounted a phone call she made to Mr Byrnes on February 13 after receiving a phone call from police asking about the whereabouts of Mr Byrnes and Ms Bernard.

She told the court she called Mr Byrnes later that afternoon to let him know the police were looking for him.

Allison Bernard's mother and uncle Edwina Bernard and Teddy Bernard, pictured with a photo of Ms Bernard (left) with her grandmother and sister. The pair were in the Cairns Coroner's Court on the first day of the coronial inquest into Ms Bernard's disappearance. Picture: Brendan Radke

The court heard how Mr Byrnes told Mrs Allan that Ms Bernard had wet herself in the car and that he had put her clothes in the washing machine and washed them.

“Yeah, he said that she had a towel wrapped around her and she freaked out on him and ran out,” Mrs Allan said, referencing her 2013 witness statement to police.

Counsel assisting the coroner Melia Benn asked Mrs Allan how Mr Byrnes sounded on the phone.

“Just like Tom on the phone,” Mrs Allan replied.

The court also heard from Department of Agriculture and Fisheries employee and Coen SES controller Scott Templeton who said he had pulled up the Archer River Roadhouse at the same time as Mr Byrnes did on the morning after Ms Bernard went missing.

Mr Templeton told the court Mr Byrnes seemed “a bit upset, probably still a bit under the weather and seemed pretty concerned … at the time”.

“He said he’d buggered up because he’d taken an Aboriginal lady up to the quarry and he was really, really concerned that she was missing and that’s when I sort of said to him, well, that doesn’t sound real good. You should report her if she’s missing, if she doesn’t turn up,” Mr Templeton said.

Mr Templeton was asked about his statement to police on February 14 where he recounted how Mr Byrnes had said he had taken Ms Bernard up to the quarry, they’d had a drinking session, and he fell asleep.

“Tom said he passed out. When he’s woken up, she wasn’t there,” Mr Templeton said.

Representing Ms Bernard’s family, barrister Andrew Hoare grilled Mr Templeton on his response to Mr Byrnes telling him Ms Bernard was missing.

“The information you received that there was naked woman in the bush in the dark who may have been missing for 10 hours, that’s correct? That’s all in your mind at 10.30 in the morning?” Mr Hoare asked.

“Oh it wasn’t in my mind but now that you’ve said it like that, yeah, that’s possibly what could happened,” Mr Templeton said.

Mr Hoare put it to Mr Templeton the person who was relaying that information to him was drinking a beer.

Mr Templeton agreed, but reiterated that Mr Byrnes said he had been out searching for her earlier that morning.

Mr Templeton told the court the SES deployed on the 14th of February, four days after Ms Bernard was last seen by Mr Byrnes.

He was asked by Northern Coroner Nerida Wilson whether it was possible to survive naked in the country around the quarry for four days.

“No, I don’t,” Mr Templeton said.

No one has ever been charged over Ms Bernard’s disappearance. The inquest resumes on Thursday.

Originally published as Naked and alone in the bush: Court hears of Kowanyama mum’s disappearance