Melissa Caddick inquest told of Anthony Koletti’s ‘strange, unusual behaviour’

The husband of Melissa Caddick exhibited ‘extremely strange” behaviour in the days after her disappearance, inquest told.

Melissa Caddick and husband Anthony Koletti.

The hairdresser husband of Melissa Caddick shed fake tears and exhibited “extremely strange and unusual” behaviour in the days after the eastern suburbs conwoman disappeared.

Body camera footage of police attending Caddick’s $15 million mansion in Dover Heights on November 13 in 2020 was shown at the inquiry into the fraudster’s probable death on Wednesday.

Caddick’s husband Anthony Koletti, also a DJ, walks police through the five-bedroom house and acts distressed and confused before appearing to cry as the three police officers prepare to leave.

Sergeant Trent Riley, who wore the body camera, told the inquest the “tears weren’t real in my opinion”.

When Judy Swan, representing Mr Koletti, pressed Mr Riley he said “I’m very confident they weren‘t real tears.”

The inquest heard there was no sign violence, struggle or a crime had taken place at the property and Mr Koletti gave police access without a warrant and handed over Caddick’s phone.

In the video Mr Riley tells Mr Koletti “I think there’s something not quite right here and I think there’s something you’re not telling me”.

Ms Swan told the inquest her client was behaving like a traumatised person.

When Mr Koletti shows police the cellar in the video he said “she hasn’t even taken any grog with her” before remarking his wife was “diligent like a robot”.

Ms Caddick was last seen on November 12 and the day before her home was raided by fraud investigators from corporate watchdog Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Federal Police.

Mr Koletti told officers his wife was the defendant in fraud proceedings and had not been charged although he conceded he didn’t know what was going on.

“Everything she’s done has always been legit,” he said.

Caddick was accused of defrauding investors of up to $30m in an alleged Ponzi scheme and was facing court action by the corporate watchdog.

Mr Koletti gave police at least three different accounts of the last time he saw Ms Caddick, including at 4am, 5.30am and around midnight on November 12.

When Mr Koletti reported Ms Caddick missing on November 13, about 30-hours after her disappearance, he told officers he was too busy working from home to give a statement in person at Rose Bay police station.

Mr Riley said Mr Koletti told him Caddick was “extremely capable” and he didn’t really think she was missing and he expected to see her when he logged into an online court hearing at Federal Court.

Detective Sergeant Michael Kyneur, who led the investigation between November 16 and 23, said when he interviewed Mr Koletti on November 20 he appeared “all over the place” and was stressed because he had no money.

“When I was recording his statement it was obvious to me he was flustered and I saw it wasn’t a normal state,” he said.

“He was all over the place if that makes sense.”

Transcripts of an interview between Mr Kyneur, who led the investigation between November 16 and 23, and Mr Koletti, were read to the NSW State Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.

Mr Koletti said Caddick was going to “rock up” on Friday the 27th of November, about two weeks after she disappeared, for a scheduled court appearance.

When Mr Kyneur asked Mr Koletti why Ms Caddick hadn’t called her husband, he replied “Because she doesn‘t need to. Do you think she wants to deal with the shit storm I’m dealing with?”

Mr Koletti also said Ms Caddick could be staying in a hotel but it would have to be “low budget” although he also said to investigators his wife could have “a fat wad of cash” because she was resourceful.

The inquest continues.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call Lifeline (13 11 14) or the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467), or see a doctor.