Gary Jubelin trial: Spider-Man costume a test in William Tyrrell hunt

Police placed a Spider-Man suit on a bush trail known to be frequented by a ‘person of interest’ in the William Tyrrell case.

Former NSW Detective Gary Jubelin arrives at the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.

Police investigating the disappearance of William Tyrrell placed a bright-red Spider-Man suit, similar to the one he was wearing when he went missing, on a remote bush trail to see what would happen when a key “person of interest” came upon it.

The two-piece suit, purchased from the same shop as the suit William had excitedly insisted upon wearing on the day of his disappearance, was placed on a trail known to be frequented by Paul Savage, 75, during his morning walks.

Mr Savage lived across the road from the house William disappeared from, in the bush village of Kendall, on the NSW mid-north coast.

Mr Savage has never been charged with any crime in relation to William’s disappearance. He denies all connection to the boy, and no evidence has ever been presented to suggest that he was in any way involved.

The NSW lead detective Gary Jubelin came up with the strategy, and the idea to place cameras in the bush, to gauge Mr Savage’s emotional response when he stumbled on the suit.

The evidence suggests that he reported the find to NSW police.

The evidence was presented as part of the trial of Mr Gary Jubelin, 57, who devoted four years of his life into the investigation into William’s disappearance.

He now stands charged with four counts of recording conversations with Mr Savage without first obtaining the proper warrants.

The District Court heard yesterday that NSW police had applied for, and received, warrants to install surveillance devices in Mr Savage’s home and car. Mr Jubelin is alleged to have recorded conversations on his own phone, either while those warrants were active, or shortly after they expired.

The court heard that he will argue that this was often done as “back-up” because the listening devices had struggled to pick up Mr Savage’s mumbling, especially since plays talkback radio extremely loudly.

Mr Jubelin’s supporters have described the case against him as a “witch hunt” designed to drive him from the police force. He quit shortly before the charges were laid.

The court heard that Mr Savage was one of a number of “persons of interest” in the case. The list includes William’s foster parents, who were targeted for investigation in 2016. They have since been cleared of any involvement.

The court was told that William, whose surname misspelled Tyrell on the slide shows, went missing on 12 September 2014.

Mr Savage was at home on Benaroon Drive, Kendall, at the time. He was involved in the initial search of surrounding bushland.

Police applied for a warrant to intercept his landline and mobile phone, and to place surveillance devices in his home, in May of 2017.

On 26 July 2017, a Spider-Man suit “similar to that worn by William was placed on a bush track, near to where Savage was known to walk.

The strategy was bolstered by cameras installed in the bush, and by “operatives” hidden in the scrub, using handheld cameras.

Mr Savage came upon the suit, but it’s not yet clear under what circumstances.

“One matter that came to assume some significance was whether he had seen (the suit) on the 26th, or whether he didn’t see it until the 27th of July,” the court heard.

On the 27th Mr Savage “reported having seen the Spider-Man suit.”

The court heard that Mr Savage had complained to police about his treatment during the long investigation into William’s disappearance. He has been interviewed several times, on one occasion in a room where the airconditioning was too cold.

On another occasion, he said, he was given no water.

He also complained about the state in which his car was returned to him, after being subjected to forensic examination.

Mr Jubelin went to see him after that complaint, and it’s alleged that he recorded the conversation they had, in his house, with no warrant in place.

Mr Jubelin asserts that there were operational reasons to record the conversations.

The Crown argued “no urgency about any of the conversations.”

Detective Sergeant Laura Beacroft, of the Sex Crimes Unit, told the court that the strike force “started looking” at Mr Savage as a possible “person of interest” in March 2017.

She said covert cameras were “installed in the bushland, surrounding (Mr Savage’s) property, and within the residence, on this person’s property.”

She said Mr Savage had found one on the cameras in the bush, and returned it to police.

She said the idea to put the Spider-Man suit on the walking track came from Mr Jubelin, in July 2017.

Barely two hours worth of evidence has been taken, with the second of five trial days taken up with an application by the legal team for the NSW Police Commissioner to have the case heard in total secrecy.

Magistrate Ross Hudson rejected much of the application, citing the public’s right to know.