Witness admits lying to police in cold case murder trial

A key witness in a cold case murder trial has admitted to previously lying to police about their connection to the victim, Christopher Jarvis, who disappeared from his Wangoom home near Warrnambool in 2006.

Steven Frederick Johnson, 74, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of murder in relation to the disappearance of 38-year-old Mr Jarvis on June 13, 2006. The crown's case is that Mr Johnson orchestrated a violent attack on his tenant, Mr Jarvis, over $2,210 in unpaid rent, before disposing of his body and setting his car alight.

In the Supreme Court in Warrnambool on Thursday, the jury heard from a key witness, who cannot be legally named, who claimed to have assisted Mr Johnson with the alleged killing. During cross-examination earlier in the trial, defence lawyer Patrick Doyle SC suggested the man was not truthfully recalling events in a number of circumstances, including how well he knew Mr Jarvis.

The man told the jury he had only met Mr Jarvis when he had paid $100 to Mr Jarvis for marijuana, and on another occasion Mr Jarvis failed to provide the drugs or refund the man. However, audio from a November 2022 police interview with the unnamed man was played in court, in which he told police he did not know Mr Jarvis when asked if he was on his contact list.

"Doesn't ring a bell, sorry"

The defence repeatedly put it to the man that he had lied to police in 2022 about knowing Mr Jarvis, before the man admitted he did.

"Well, that's fine. Yes, I did. I lied to them"

When questioned on another detail in the 2022 police interview recording, the man denied lying to detectives.

"I didn't lie about it, I just didn't tell the truth"

The man was asked to explain the distinction between lying and not telling the truth.

"Can you explain that distinction to us, please?" Mr Doyle asked the man.

There was a moment of silence in the court room before the cross-examination continued.

The man had earlier told the jury that he had memory problems.

"Are you a bit selective when you invoke this problem with your memory?" Mr Doyle asked the man.

The man replied no, and said he had trouble remembering his children's birthdays.

On Thursday, the man reiterated to the court that he had memory issues.

"I'm not here to recall every single thing"

The jury trial is set down for five weeks.