‘We didn’t fight on the rock’: Joshua Kennedy tells inquest he didn’t push Robert Charles Mansell into the sea

The last man to see Flinders Island man Robert Charles Mansell alive has given evidence in a coronial inquest.

Robert Charles Mansell, 42, who disappeared while fishing off Flinders Island on August 8, 2015. Picture: SUPPLIED

FLINDERS Island man Joshua Kennedy, who was fishing with Robert Charles Mansell the morning he went missing in August 2015, has told a coronial inquest he did not push his friend into the sea.

Joshua Kennedy — who had known Mr Mansell for about nine years before his disappearance and was the last to see him alive — on Thursday told the court the 42-year-old slipped into the cold waters of Bass Strait while trying to retrieve a fishing lure that had become snagged on Salmon Rock.

Mr Kennedy, aged 20 at the time of the incident, said he jumped into the water and had managed to bring Mr Mansell back to the rock before they were hit by a wave. He said he never saw his friend again.

But counsel assisting the Coroner, Jane Ansell, said Mr Kennedy’s claim that he tried to rescue Mr Mansell was at odds with his failure to call triple-zero after emerging from the water and flag down a passing motorist, John Wells, while he was later walking for help.

Ms Ansell put to Mr Kennedy that he had not actually jumped in the water, and that Mr Mansell fell from the rock because the pair had become embroiled in an altercation and Mr Kennedy had pushed him.

“No, we did not have a fight on that rock,” Mr Kennedy replied.

He put his actions down to “shock” and that he “wasn’t thinking right”.

Ms Ansell said phone records showed no evidence of Mr Kennedy calling triple-0, although Mr Kennedy claimed he had tried to once, but that he had no phone reception.

Mr Kennedy also denied having a “crush” on Stephanie Riggall, a mutual friend of the pair.

The court heard Mr Kennedy was drinking at Ms Riggall’s home the evening before he and Mr Mansell embarked on their early morning fishing trip to North East River, at the top of Flinders Island.

Previously, the inquest had heard Mr Kennedy and Mr Mansell had fallen out over Ms Riggall, who has described the three of them as the “black sheep” of Flinders Island.

When Ms Ansell, put to Mr Kennedy that he “had a crush” on Ms Riggall, he replied that his feelings for her were “not in a romantic way”.

“You told Jaryd Aitken [Ms Riggall’s then-boyfriend] that you loved her,” Ms Ansell said.

“That doesn’t mean I had a crush on her,” Mr Kennedy replied.

Mr Kennedy initially said he had only previously had verbal arguments with Mr Mansell but later gave evidence that they had on occasion pushed and shoved one another while drinking.

Coroner Olivia McTaggart adjourned the inquest to a date to be fixed, with counsel awaiting further documents before final submissions.