Lachie Jones’ half brother to give further evidence at inquest

Friday, 2 August 2024

Lachie Jones’ body was found in Gore’s waste water ponds in January 2019. He was three years old when he died.

Lachie Jones’ half brother has been included on a list of witnesses to give evidence at an inquest which resumes in Invercargill on Tuesday.

Jonathan Scott, 21, who is the half-brother of Lachie Jones, arrives at the Invercargill courthouse to give evidence at the coronial inquest into the toddlers' death in May. (File photo)

The witness list, which was released by the Coroner’s Office on Friday, lists Jonathan Scott, who is Lachie’s half brother, and two other members of the public from Gore to give evidence during the second week of the two-week inquest.

Lachie was found dead late on the evening of January 29, 2019, face up in a council waste water pond near his home.

Paul Jones at the site where his son his three-year-old son, Lachie was found at the Gore oxidation ponds. (File photo)

During the first sitting of the inquest in May, Scott denied storing the 3-year-old’s body in a freezer until he knew what to do with it, but admitted buying cannabis as family members and neighbours searched for his half-brother.

Scott gave evidence before Coroner Alexander Ho, along with his brother Cameron and mother Michelle Officer, who is Lachie’s mother.

Paul Jones speaks outside the Invercargill Courthouse.

During the first sitting, which lasted for three weeks, Lachie’s family members, people who were present or in the vicinity when he disappeared and after his body was found; and people who acted in an official capacity in relation to the disappearance and death investigation, including police officers, paramedics and mortuary staff gave evidence.

That evidence has now been considered by experts who will give their evidence at the second hearing.

Also scheduled to give evidence via AVL is retired US forensic detective Karen Smith, who has previously told Stuff Gore police did an ‘’appalling job” in their investigation into the death.

Smith said the fact the autopsy found no water in Lachie’s lungs and the fact that he was found floating face up should have raised red flags to police on the night he was found.

Police national co-ordinator police dogs inspector Todd Southall, forensic pathologists Dr Martin Sage and Dr Judy Melinek and paediatrician Dr Carmen Basu are also scheduled to give evidence.

Lachie’s father, Paul Jones, has spent more than five years fighting for an inquest into the death because he does not believe his son would have walked more than 1km from his mother’s neighbour’s home, through scrubby land, without getting marks on his feet or legs.