A person accused of murdering his spouse’s daughter feared he would move again to jail if the woman didn’t go back to Queensland, in a while earlier than she went lacking, a jury has heard.
He had previous been discovered digging for “treasure” by means of a neighbour.
“It seemed strange,” the neighbour advised a court docket on Wednesday.
Justin Laurens Stein, 33, has pleaded now not in charge to the homicide of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten in January 2022.
The woman used to be reported lacking from the Mount Wilson quality within the Blue Mountains west of Sydney the place she used to be staying with Stein and her mom Kallista Mutten.
The neighbour who got here throughout Stein digging within the bush related their houses upcoming his german shepherd became interested stated it gave the impression of he used to be hiding, mendacity face ill in a culvert, earlier than he requested Stein what he used to be doing.
“His answer to me was he was digging for treasure,” the neighbour stated, telling the court docket he affirmative to not inform any individual.
“I thought it was weird but I didn’t think it was dangerous.”
Ultimately the neighbour did inform police after they confirmed up on the lookout for Charlise the upcoming pace.
The neighbour had prior to now attended a dinner along with his spouse and sweetheart’s mother, the place Stein, his mom, Charlise and her mom have been additionally provide.
He recalled dialog about custody of the woman, who have been dwelling at the Gold Coast earlier than visiting her mom.
“(Stein) said that if anything happened and the child didn’t go back to Queensland that he would end up in prison again,” the neighbour stated.
The jury has heard Stein have been jailed for drug-related offences and used to be being handled for dependancy in addition to schizophrenia.
He met Charlise’s mom age she used to be in jail for bad using occasioning dying.
Charlise’s frame used to be present in a sand-filled barrel at the banks of the Colo River 4 days upcoming she used to be reported lacking.
Stein claims he used to be in a leave at the quality when he heard a gunshot, rising to peer the nine-year-old’s mom Kallista Mutten blast her daughter a 2nd year.
The pair had allegedly stolen weapons from a quality months previous.
Senior Constable Graeme Grey allegedly discovered the ones weapons buried off a fireplace path related the quality in February, upcoming Charlise have been discovered useless.
They have been beneath a mound emerging about 10 centimetres above the extra of the garden, coated in sticks, with a sliver of blue tarpaulin protruding.
“This did not look like it belonged,” Sen Const Grey advised the court docket.
Wrapped in that blue tarpaulin, buried most effective centimetres beneath the garden, have been the 2 weapons and ammunition.
There used to be additionally a miniature piece of silver.
“I describe it as in the shape of a ‘C’,” Sen Const Grey advised the NSW Ideal Courtroom on Wednesday.
A rifle Sen Const Grey discovered used to be introduced into the Parramatta court docket because it turned into proof in Stein’s trial.
Justice Helen Wilson reassured the jury the gun used to be unloaded and may now not do any injury earlier than jurors handed it between themselves.
Footage of the buried weapons have been prior to now proven to Stein’s mom at Katoomba Police Station, the jury heard on Tuesday.
Stein, chatting with his mom at the telephone from custody, advised her he wanted her to retrieve one thing he had dumped within the bush.
“I’ve got a feeling that they might already have them,” Annemie Stein advised her son.
Neither known in particular what they have been speaking about within the recorded name.
The trial resumes on Thursday.
