Melissa Caddick inquest to examine fraudster’s mental state before disappearance
The mystery of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick will be unravelled at a coroner’s court inquest to be held next month.
The inquest into the death of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick will hear from psychologists as the court attempts to piece together whether she was suffering any mental health issues.
The inquest is due to begin in the NSW State Coroner’s Court at Lidcombe next month and will examine her likely death after her partial remains washed up on a southern NSW beach.
Ms Caddick went missing from her Dover Heights home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs hours after police and ASIC raided the $6.2m property.
She was last seen leaving her Dover Heights home about 5.30am on November 12, 2020, and has been missing since.
A foot, which was later identified as belonging to the 49-year-old, was found washed up on a beach near Tathra three months after she went missing and more than 400km south of Sydney.
The corporate watchdog has accused Ms Caddick of misappropriating $23m worth of investor funds, including from her friends and family, to fund a lavish lifestyle of designer jewellery, watches, clothing and shoes.
The case has been the subject of rampant speculation and conspiracy theories, but police have stated they believed she is dead.
The inquest has been set down for a hearing from September 12 to 26.
The witness list will include her husband, DJ and former part-time prawn farmer Anthony Koletti, and her parents Ted and Barbara Grimley.
Counsel assisting the coroner Jason Downing on Wednesday told a directions hearing that the brief of evidence, including all electronic material, had been served and he was confident of the inquest before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan proceeding next month.
Mr Downing also told the court that he was seeking evidence from psychologists and experts on ocean currents.
“We are in the process of seeking expert evidence going to any mental health conditions that Ms Caddick may have had,” Mr Downing said.
“We are seeking that report. We are also seeking an expert oceanographer’s opinion.”
A further directions hearing will be held later this month before the inquest begins.
ASIC claims Ms Caddick stole from investors in an elaborate Ponzi scheme between 2012 and 2020.
The corporate watchdog claims she posed as a financial adviser and pretended to invest millions of dollars for clients into fake CommSec portfolios but instead spent the money on herself.
The watchdog has discovered 74 investors, many of whom were her friends and family, were fleeced of $23m.
The Federal Court has found that Ms Caddick operated her financial services company Maliver without holding an Australian Financial Services licence.
Mr Koletti last week had an apprehended violence order against him dropped after publicly blaming authorities for his wife’s death.
Police sought the AVO against Mr Koletti as a result of social media posts and songs in which he blamed the corporate regulator for his wife’s disappearance and presumed death.
However, the AVO was last week withdrawn.
There is no suggestion Mr Koletti knew about Ms Caddick’s Ponzi scheme.
Cyclone threat for Aussie tourist town
Residents have been warned to stay inside and secure their belongings as a tropical cyclone threatens to develop and smash the coast in the next 24-48 hours.
Brawl breaks out after Sydney Derby
Chaos broke out at Central Station overnight, with about 25 people involved in a brawl following the A-League Sydney Derby.