‘He smirked at me’: Man’s former friend claims he murdered wife Helen Bird

“I had a cold shiver when he was telling me:” A homeless man says he believes his former friend murdered his Blackmans Bay wife, who seemingly died by suicide more than 13 years ago.

The Birds’ Geeveston home was destroyed by fire. Picture: Stewart Wardlaw

A Hobart man who has become a “person of interest” in his wife’s 2010 death has made an impassioned speech of how lucky he was to have her – and how he misses her still.

Mark Gordon Bird entered the witness stand at a Hobart inquest on Wednesday – some 13 years after his wife Helen died, in what was deemed at the time a tragic suicide.

Mr Bird’s words came just hours after his former tenant, now homeless man John Denehey, told the court he believed Mr Bird had killed his wife, with words he said gave him a “cold shiver”.

Before giving evidence, Mr Bird – who served jail time after his wife’s death for setting fire to his two homes to make fraudulent insurance claims – was warned of the dangers of perjury by Coroner Robert Webster.

He then spoke warmly of his wife while being questioned by his current partner, Sarah Battams, who acted in lieu of legal representation and who wept at times during proceedings.

Mr Bird told the inquest he and Helen Bird, who were born and raised in England, had been sweethearts since they were teenagers.

“She was probably one of the most loveable, enjoyable people you’d ever meet. It was a privilege to spend time with her. She was the soul of every party. When we were travelling, she was loved by everyone,” Mr Bird told the court.

“There’s not many words that can readily describe her. I was so lucky to have her. She was deeply lovely. I still miss her.”

Mr Bird said the pair had been “best mates”.

“We might not have been the best husband and wife in the world, but we were the best friends you could possibly find,” he said.

Mr Bird said he’d only pleaded guilty in the arson cases because he’d been told to do so by his lawyer.

He said he found his wife’s body at their Blackmans Bay home, and had tried to resuscitate her with CPR.

“It was a shock to me, as well as everyone else. And I still can’t understand,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Denehey told the coroner he met Mr Bird after approaching him to swap his solar system for three unregistered cars.

He said Mr Bird later asked him to move in, and the pair became good friends – before their friendship fell apart when he said Mr Bird became verbally aggressive and took some of his possessions.

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Mr Denehey said Mr Bird had told him he was stressed about the upcoming inquest, and that “the lies were catching up to him” and that his current partner “knows too much”.

“I said ‘Mark, did you do it, as in, did you do this to your wife?’ He smirked at me,” Mr Denehey said.

Mr Denehey said Mr Bird then described Mrs Bird’s method of death.

“When he told me at the time, I thought,’ you’re just being a hero. But I had a cold shiver when he was telling me’,” he said.

“Do I think he did it? Yes.”

In a series of text messages read to the court, Mr Denehey told Mr Bird “you did murder your wife”, that he’d killed someone and made it look like they took their own life.

“You killed your wife with no remorse. You killed your animals in fire with no remorse.”

The inquest continues next month.