Sharron Phillips inquest told murder victim fought for her life

The former sister-in-law of the prime suspect in Sharron Phillips’ disappearance has told an inquest of admissions he made to her.

A woman has told an inquest that the prime suspect in the 1986 disappearance of Sharron Phillips once told her he knew a place where he could dump her body and she would never be seen again.

Allison Clancy told the inquest that her then brother-in-law, taxi driver Raymond Mulvihill, who is now dead, made the threat after he raped her, telling her not to say a word.

Ms Clancy said that years later, in 1992 at a family christening, Mulvihill told her how he attacked Sharron Phillips in his taxi and told his son, Ian Seeley, that he had killed her.

She said Mulvihill said: “Sharron Phillips. My five minutes of fame. Dumped by that big hero downstairs,” referring to Mr Seeley.

She told the inquest Mulvihill told her Ian Seeley had dumped Ms Phillips at a mine.

Ms Clancy was giving evidence in the inquest into the 1986 disappearance of Sharron Phillips, 20, which has reopened in Brisbane Coroners Court.

Ms Phillips disappeared in the early hours of May 9, 1986, after her car ran out of petrol on Ipswich Rd, Wacol. She has never been found.

Sharron Phillips disappeared in 1986.

A Homicide Cold Case Unit investigation began in 2016 after Ian Seeley said his father, Raymond Mulvihill, made a deathbed confession implicating himself in Ms Phillips’ disappearance.

Raymond Mulvihill had been an Ascot Taxis driver at the time Ms Phillips went missing.

Investigators believe prime suspect Mr Mulvihill played a significant part in Ms Phillips’ disappearance and the inquest would focus on that, with 13 witnesses, including Mr Seeley, the Coroners Court was told.

In 2017, homicide police said Mulvihill was the man who abducted and murdered Ms Phillips, and if he had been alive they would have arrested him.

No one has ever been charged over the disappearance.

The 1988 inquest found a strong possibility that Sharron’s disappearance was not voluntary and was under suspicious circumstances.

Ms Clancy said at the christening in 1992, Mulvihill told her of meeting Ms Phillips at a phone box.

She said he said he was waiting to meet his son Ian near the phone box, after his taxi shift.

According to Ms Clancy, Mulvihill said of Ms Phillips: “She came out of the phone box. She was an attractive girl. Nicely dressed.”

Ms Clancy added: “He said she told him that she had run out of petrol, but a friend was coming to collect her.

Allison Clancy outside Brisbane Magistrates Court today. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire

“He turned around and said that he had just knocked off of his shift and was waiting for his son to collect him and because he had a young daughter he was hesitant about her being out that late at night.

“So he decided to lure her back to the taxi, by saying he would get someone to bring some petrol down for her car.

“And then when he went back to the taxi, yeah, he told her to sit in the back seat while he made the call on the radio.

“The next minute bang, he was on top of her, as soon as she got in.

“And apparently she come up fist fighting... Sharron came up fist fighting.

“Then he told me to stop her from screaming he just knocked her out and then he said Ian was coming to pick him up any second.

“When Ian drove in he turned around and told him he’d just killed her on Ipswich Rd.”

She said Mulvihill said he told Ian he had killed Ms Phillips on Ipswich Rd

“He said ‘Ian wouldn’t have helped me. I had to make up a bullshit story to get him to help me get her out of the taxi, because the taxi was there for the next driver.”

Ms Clancy said Mulvihill said he opened the taxi door and showed Mr Seeley Ms Phillips in the back seat.

She said Mulvihill said he asked Ian if he would help transfer Ms Phillips to the back seat of Ian’s car.

“Next thing he was saying that they took the body, put it in the boot, in Ian’s car,” Ms Clancy said.

“Then Raymond said he went back to the taxi to lock the taxi up and he saw her shoes and her bag in the back on the floor. So he picked them up and went back and put them in the boot.”

Late taxi driver Raymond Peter Mulvihill is the prime suspect in Sharron Phillips’ murder.

Ms Clancy said Mulvihill said when they were driving home he heard a thump in the boot and he knew Ms Phillips was awake.

“When they got home, Raymond got out and Ian went and had to fulfil what his father requested, because he knew the consequences if he didn’t,” she said.

She said Mulvihill told her: “That jerk left her out at the mine.”

“He said ‘He threw her over the edge alive’,” Ms Clancy said.

Ian Seeley is due to give evidence at the inquest.

Homicide Detective sergeant Scott Chapman told the inquest police still believed Ms Phillips went missing on May 8 or 9, 1986, under suspicious circumstances.

“However we believe Raymond Mulvihill played a significant role in her disappearance and Ian Seeley potentially played a role as well,” Det St Chapman said.

Det Sgt Chapman had headed the 2016 review of the case after Ian Seeley provided what was thought at the time to be “specific and credible information”.

In 2017, the Attorney-General directed that the previous inquest in 1988 be reopened and in December, state coroner Terry Ryan ordered it to be reopened on March 22, for a three-day hearing.

It will explore whether Ms Phillips is dead and if so, how, when and where she died and the cause of her death.

It also will examine the circumstances of Sharron’s disappearance and whether the actions or omissions of any person caused her disappearance.

Cold case investigator Detective Sergeant Scott Chapman leaves the Brisbane Magistrates Court today. Picture: Tertius Pickard/NCA NewsWire

A pre-inquest hearing heard that Mr Seeley maintained his father was responsible for Sharron’s death.

Mr Seeley allegedly told a retired detective in 2016 that his father told him before he died that he had left Sharron’s body in a stormwater drain at Carole Park.

Police searched the area in 2016, but no human bones were found.

Originally published as Sharron Phillips inquest told murder victim fought for her life