Woman confronts foster mother outside William Tyrrell inquest

The deputy state coroner has issued a stern warning after William Tyrrell’s foster mother was abused outside the coronial inquest into his disappearance.

The then-three-year-old vanished without a trace from his foster grandmother’s NSW Mid-North Coast home in 2014 in what has become Australia’s highest-profile missing person case.

The long-running inquest, which began five years ago, has been beset by delays but began again on Monday.

At its conclusion on Monday, a woman describing herself as a “concerned taxpayer” hurled abuse at William’s foster mother outside the Coroner’s Court at Lidcombe. The woman also used the foster mother’s name, which is subject to a non-publication order.

Vision of the incident shows the woman yelling: “Justice for William.”

“Why would you hurt a child? You should be ashamed of yourself!”

The foster mother of William Tyrrell outside another court earlier this year and inset, William.Credit: Nikki Short and supplied

Opening the inquest on Tuesday, counsel assisting Gerard Craddock SC told the coroner that “somebody started hurling abuse at her, and the [court] officer thinks used her name”.

“Obviously, there’s no place for that in civil society at all, but it is particularly regrettable in the circumstances of this case, which is fraught already,” he said.

NSW Police search the gardens below a balcony at the home from which William Tyrrell disappeared.Credit: Wolter Peeters

“I would ask your honour to remind people who are in attendance that orderly conduct is required, fairness is deserved by all that come here, and that sort of conduct is something that could, if established, amount to a punishable contempt of court.”

Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame responded: “That person should be warned that sheriffs can take [legal] action.”

“That sort of behaviour must not occur. There is a non-publication order over the name of the person, but I’m just disturbed by the sort of behaviour,” she said.

“I do issue a stern warning – please behave in an appropriate manner.”

The inquest on Monday heard police believe that William died after accidentally falling from the balcony of the home, where he was visiting with his foster family for the weekend.

According to the police theory, his foster mother then disposed of his remains because she was afraid of losing custody of another foster child.

Professor Jon Olley and forensic archaeologist Tony Lowe search a site with NSW Police in 2021. Credit: Louise Kennerley

William’s foster mother, who cannot be identified due to a suppression order on her identity and that of her husband, has always vehemently denied any involvement in his disappearance.

Fluvial geomorphologist Jon Olley, who also worked on the search for missing child Daniel Morcombe, was brought in by NSW Police in 2021 as investigators probed their theory.

He told the court a polyester suit similar to the Spider-Man outfit William was wearing the day he disappeared would have taken centuries to degrade.

If William had been dumped in a creek around the search area, his body would have been caught up in one of the area’s dams, Professor Olley said.

The inquest continues.

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