‘I know what I saw’: Bronwyn’s neighbour insists memory is fine

The neighbour of Bronwyn and Jon Winfield says he clearly remembers the night the mother of two vanished from their Lennox Head home | LISTEN

Murray Nolan and Deborah Hall. Picture: Liam Mendes

The neighbour of missing Lennox Head woman Bronwyn Winfield denies his recreational use of marijuana affected his recollections of the night she disappeared.

Murray Nolan told an inquest into Bronwyn Winfield’s disappearance he smoked the drug socially a handful of times a year, but said he couldn’t recall if he was using marijuana at all in early 1993, when the mother of two vanished.

“I am a light user of marijuana and have been for 25 years, since I was 15,” Mr Nolan told the inquest in 2002. His evidence is recreated in a new episode of The Australian’s podcast investigation, Bronwyn.

“Back 10 years ago, I was probably taking it once every three months … I used it as a party drug, social drug.”

Mr Nolan said his “light” use of marijuana over several years had no discernible effect on his memory.

The keen surfer was hospitalised for a back injury he said crushed his spine “like a can” weeks before Bronwyn vanished, but also denied he used marijuana for pain management.

He told police in 1998 he saw the Ford Falcon owned by Bronwyn Winfield and her husband, Jon, roll silently down the driveway of their Lennox Head home with the headlights off just before 11pm on the night of May 16, 1993 – the last day Bronwyn was seen alive by anyone but Mr Winfield.

Mr Nolan told The Australian’s national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas the car “rolled down the hill, turned the lights on, started the engine and drove”.

“I thought, ‘Gee, the boot’s a bit heavy’.”

Reflecting on his experience at the inquest in a new episode of the podcast, Mr Nolan told Hedley Thomas he was disappointed to see his evidence “plastered” over the Northern Star newspaper.

“I was just telling the truth, and that was the only thing I had,” he said, adding that the lawyer representing Jon Winfield at the inquest, Craig Leggat, was trying to poke holes in his story.

“He went down that path and he just tried to discredit me.”

Deborah Hall and Murray Nolan. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Mr Nolan’s wife, Debbie Hall, told the Bronwyn podcast she understood the lawyer’s strategy, but noted recreational marijuana use was part of the culture at the time.

“I think he was use that as his leverage to discredit … to make us look bad,” she said.

“That was his game plan.”

Mr Nolan also told the inquest he received a prescription for Panadeine Forte upon his discharge from hospital on May 15, 1993, but says he only took the painkillers to help him manage his pain and sleep.

He told Matt Fordham – the police officer assisting coroner Carl Milovanovic – the painkillers never caused him to have delusions.

“I still remain coherent,” Mr Nolan said.

“But after about probably 20 minutes, I just tend to go to sleep. And that’s why I use it for my injury.”

Mr Leggat suggested the strong painkillers could have compromised Mr Nolan’s memory of the night in question, but Mr Nolan said he didn’t have any recollection of taking any Panadeine Forte before going to bed around 11.30pm on the evening of May 16, 1993.

“I haven’t got a recollection of taking one, and I more than likely wouldn’t have taken one,” Mr Nolan said.

He told the inquest he’d observed Mr Winfield leaving the Sandstone Crescent residence in the manner described on previous occasions, but said the disturbance was more noticeable on the night Bronwyn Winfield was last seen alive.

“Occasionally, (the Ford Falcon) did bottom out on that roadway, but not as heavy as it did that day,” he told Mr Fordham.

“I think it was either the tow ball or the exhaust pipe, because it actually dug a groove in the road.”

Bronwyn Winfield, 31, was last seen at her Lennox Heads home in May 1993. Photo Contributed

Mr Nolan didn’t report his observations to police until five years after Bronwyn disappeared – a decision he now regrets.

“I just thought, I’m staying out of this,” he told the podcast.

“(Jon’s) a mate. He’s my friend. I’ve got to live next door to him, and I’m going to surf with him.

“I just thought it was just too obvious (that Jon Winfield had killed Bronwyn). I was probably mistaken at the time.”

Mr Leggat suggested Mr Nolan waited so long to report his observations because there was nothing unusual about Mr Winfield’s behaviour on the night of May 16, 1993.

“Do you think, because it wasn’t a one-off, that it may be the reason you didn’t, sort of, rush off to the police, and say, ‘Look, here’s something that’s a one-off’?” Mr Leggat asked.

Mr Nolan responded that he didn’t want to get involved with the police investigation.

“The reason I didn’t rush off to the police, which is probably a bit of a mystery to you, is Jon is a friend of mine,” Mr Nolan said.

“And it was very relevant to me at the time that the car went down without the lights on and hit the driveway … And I kept that in my own head.”

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