Murder victim’s fiancee recounts night of partner’s death
Jake Anderson-Brettner’s fiancee has tearfully spoke of the days leading up to his death, accusing the alleged killer of being a liar after he said he spent all night looking for the dead man. LATEST FROM COURT >>
The Launceston News
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JAKE Anderson-Brettner’s fiancee accused her partner’s alleged killer of being a liar when he claimed to have spent all night looking for the dead man.
Katlyn Roney was the first witness to appear at the trial in Launceston Supreme Court on Wednesday, and at times she was teary as she spoke of the days leading up to her partner’s death.
Jack Vincent Harrison Sadler is accused of killing Mr Anderson-Brettner, 24, in his home on Dion Crescent in Riverside on August 15, 2018.
Mr Sadler has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Ms Roney said she became worried about her fiance after he failed to return for the dinner plans they had made for 8pm that night after he visited Sadler at his home.
He didn’t return her messages or calls and she said at 2am she drove around to Dion Crescent.
Ms Roney said there was no one home, but the floodlights were on and Mr Sadler drove up about 20 minutes after she arrived.
She said Mr Sadler told her he had been out looking all night and Mr Anderson-Brettner had not showed up at his house.
Ms Roney said Mr Sadler was “not dressed in a way he normally would wearing daggy trackpants”, not his usual “matching tracksuits and gold chains” and was shifting his weight from one foot to other as he stood and “he was speaking really fast”.
Ms Roney said she had not questioned how Mr Anderson-Brettner was “living like a king on a butcher apprentice salary” after defence Greg Richardson counsel asked her during the cross examination, following questions about vehicles he had owned and trips he had taken.
Mr Richardson also asked if Mr Anderson-Brettner had been dealing drugs the whole of their adult relationship.
She responded “no”.
The court was told Ms Roney called Mr Anderson-Brettner’s phone nine times between 8.15pm on August 15 and 6.14am on August 16.
Ms Roney said when she and Mr Anderson-Brettner had gone to dinner on August 11, 2018, at Velo Winery in Legana, Mr Sadler and his girlfriend Gemma Clark were already at the restaurant when they arrived.
“Jake said (of Mr Sadler) we’re not getting along at the moment, but it was all right, I’m going to see him later in the week and sort it out.”
Chris Frantangelo appeared as a witness in the afternoon, telling the court he was shown a pistol by Mr Sadler when he visited Mr Sadler’s house in 2018.
Ms Roney reported Mr Anderson-Brettner missing to police on August 16, 2018, passing on Mr Sadler’s phone number to police.
The Tasmania Police customer service officer who assisted Ms Roney told the court when she contacted Mr Sadler, he said Mr Anderson-Brettner had come around to his house and stayed for approximately 20 minutes before leaving.
Mr Sadler told her he had tried to contact him three or four times on Messenger before going out to look for him, returning home about 2am.
She asked Mr Sadler what mood Mr Anderson-Brettner had been in and he said “Jake had been over the moon, he had just had a phone call from a real estate agent to say his home loan had been approved”.
The trial continues.
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