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How did Childs suspect know?
By Lisa Davies
December 22, 2006 12:00
Article from: The Daily Telegraph
THE prime suspect in Sydney woman Rachelle Childs' murder was
yesterday asked to explain how he knew the young woman's fingers
were severed at the time of her death.
Ms Childs' former boss Kevin Correll had allegedly told three
witnesses that her hand or fingers were removed in the 2001 killing,
an inquest at Glebe Coroner's Court was told.
But it was only after the state coroner recently ordered her body be
exhumed that forensic tests confirmed some of Ms Childs' fingers
were no longer attached.
A series of propositions were yesterday put to Mr Correll, who
exercised his right to refuse to answer the questions on the grounds
he may incrimi- nate himself.
The court was told that only six people – including Mr Correll – had
told police they had heard Ms Childs' fingers were removed.
Three of those had nominated the used car dealer as the source of
the information, while two others have yet to be questioned.
A witness known as KP15 confirmed that Mr Correll told him that
detail.
"He said that she was dealing drugs for the bikies and that was
their way of handling a person that stole from them," KP15 told the
court.
A Rebels leader in Bargo, where Ms Childs lived, has been ruled out
as a suspect.
Ms Childs disappeared after leaving the Camden Holden car dealership
where she worked with Mr Correll on June 7, 2001.
Her body was found alight in the early hours of the following day in
national park near Nowra on the South Coast.
Mr Correll returned to the witness box yesterday and was told of the
forensic development.
"Is there anything you wish to say to this court about the
correlation between the fact that you have apparently been speaking
to people about the cutting off of the hand or fingers (of Ms
Childs) and the possibility that there has been some severance of
those parts of her body?" Mr Singleton said.
"No," Mr Correll answered.
Mr Singleton told the wit- ness forensic tests had yet to be
completed.
Earlier, the court heard Mr Correll had changed his name from Kevin
Cornwall after being accused of a violent sexual assault in 1983. He
was acquitted of that charge.
Mr Correll's lawyer Matthew Johnston described the questioning as
"trench warfare" and said while his client may refuse to answer
questions, that in no way implied any guilt.
The inquest into the death will resume next year.