Tony Rowe’s family friend Keith Waldock claims he was threatened into silence by alleged murderer Tim Hunt
A fisherman has told a NT jury he ‘pissed’ himself in fear after witnessing his mate’s murder, alleging Tony Rowe’s killer threatened him into silence for 12 months.
A fisherman who “pissed” himself in fear after allegedly witnessing his mate’s throat being sliced open said he spent 12 months at sea terrified he would encounter the “maniac” behind the murder.
For 12 months the loved ones of Tony Rowe waited for answers after the 36-year-old fisheries worker vanished from a Top End pub on May 28, 2022.
On Tuesday, two of the last people to see Mr Rowe alive told the jury they were too scared to report the horrific details of that night to police after being allegedly threatened by his killer, Timothy Hunt.
While the 31-year-old Mr Hunt has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Rowe, he has pleaded not guilty to his murder maintaining it was a beating that went too far.
However the murder trial’s star witnesses, Mr Rowe’s long term family friend Keith ‘Lumpy’ Waldock and Mr Hunt’s Tinder date Jazmine Shier, have alleged in Mr Rowe’s final moments, Mr Hunt snipped off his pinky toe before slicing open his throat.
Ms Shier said she was directed to drive Mr Hunt, Mr Rowe and Mr Waldock to a secluded road near the Robertson Barracks after they were all kicked out of the Hibiscus Tavern that evening.
She alleged Mr Hunt was arguing with the drunk Mr Rowe, accusing him of owing him $10,000 because he had failed to pick up drugs for their planned remote “weed run”.
Mr Waldock said he woke up to a commotion outside the car, with Mr Hunt yelling at his friend “calling him every name under the sun”.
Ms Shier alleged Mr Hunt dragged Mr Rowe out of the car, before he and Mr Waldock took turns bashing him for the next 20 minutes.
However Mr Waldock maintained he “slapped him and shook the hell outta him” to try and get his drunk friend to get up.
While his friend was slumped over, Mr Waldock said he noticed the “shears” in Mr Hunt’s hands.
“I was thinking in my head ‘what the f**k is going on now’?,” he said.
Mr Waldock said after Mr Rowe’s toe was amputated, he turned back to see Mr Hunt holding his friend in a headlock position.
He said seconds later Mr Rowe’s body slumped to the ground, before Mr Hunt barked out: “Get back in the car, the debt’s been cleared” and “I just cut the c**ts throat”.
“I pissed myself... in fear seeing what happened to my mate,” Mr Waldock said.
He said he went to check on his mate only to hear him “gasping for breath” as the blood dripped from his neck.
Mr Waldock said Mr Hunt and Ms Shier dragged off the body “like he was nothing”, and he tried to kick dirt over his urine puddle — fearful of what Mr Hunt would do if he noticed his panic.
When they returned to the car, Mr Hunt allegedly pointed an axe at Mr Waldock warning him: “If you say anything or go to the coppers, you’re pretty much next”.
That next day Mr Waldock said he jumped on a fishing boat and spent the next 12 months trying to avoid any time back on land.
“I didn’t know where this maniac was or anything,” he said.
“I was thinking about my family and my partner. I didn’t know where this madman is, what’s going to happen.
“I didn’t tell a soul until I seen Timothy in jail.”
Over five days of evidence Ms Shier repeated she had also been threatened into silence, unable to even get a police restraining order against Mr Hunt.
“There were multiple occasions where he’s thrown knives at me, he’s held an axe to my throat, he’s choked me, he’s smashed the front window and said ‘I’m next’,” Ms Shier said.
“He would turn away, look back at me and his eyes would just change. He was bipolar.”
The 20-year-old had admitted to helping Mr Hunt cover his tracks, returning to the crime scene the next day and moving Mr Rowe’s body to another remote location.
She alleged that after dousing his body in petrol, Mr Hunt placed a lit cigarette in Mr Rowe’s mouth for “one last smoke with his mate” before they left the burning body.
Ms Shier said she also bought cleaning material from Bunnings before helping Mr Hunt scrub the blood out of his car.
For 12 months she kept her silence, but on Monday the jury was shown the moment her lies fell apart during a NT Police interview.
In May 2023 — almost a year since Mr Rowe’s death — investigators showed Ms Shier a photo of a blood splatter they missed while they were cleaning out Mr Hunt’s boot.
Mr Hunt’s defence barrister Marty Aust said Ms Shier’s official story suddenly included allegations of the violent beating, toe amputation and Mr Hunt slicing Mr Rowe’s throat — all details she had not mentioned during the prior 12 month investigation.
Mr Aust accused Ms Shier of ‘embellishing’ a dramatic tale to paint his client as an “extremely dangerous person”, to divert attention from her own role in his death.
“You were worried you’re going down for a homicide charge weren’t you?” Mr Aust said.
“I was scared,” Ms Shier told the jury while sniffling through tears.
“I didn’t know who I could talk to.”
Ms Shier said she was not only being threatened by the police investigation, but had lived in fear over what Mr Hunt could do to her given he had referenced his “bikie associations”.
“I was scared of Tim and I didn’t feel like police were taking me seriously when I asked for restraining orders,” she said.
“I knew I was in trouble, and I regret not telling them better then what happened.
“But I didn’t feel comfortable or safe enough.”
The trial continues.
