Kyle Coleman Inquest: James Coleman’s parents take the witness stand

The court heard that on the Wednesday before Kyle’s disappearance, James Coleman took another hunting trip south of Mount Isa with his friend Aubrey Cormack.

Mr Cormack said they went to the property where they planned to hunt pigs before the threat of rain curtailed the trip.

They drank at the homestead of the property before returning to Mount Isa that night.

Mr Cormack was quizzed on how many firearms James had, having originally told police James had one firearm but later admitting he had three.

Mr Cormack said he didn’t know why he made the earlier statement and denied he was protecting James.

On the morning of the Undilla trip, Mr Cormack said James had texted him about his opinion on a Mossberg gun he was considering buying.

A day later Mr Cormack found out about Kyle Coleman’s disappearance and after being unable to contact James he rang Toni-Lee Sabin who confirmed it was true.

The next witness Peter Jelly was a friend of James.

James contacted Peter on the Saturday afternoon after Kyle’s disappearance to ask if he (Peter) had seen Kyle.

Peter said he had an afternoon sleep after being out all night camping so hadn’t seen anyone.

He said he could hear James’s concern in his voice but he re-assured him that Kyle probably crashed at a mate’s house.

Two days later (Monday) Peter rang James but there was no answer so he drove to James and Toni’s house where James told him there was still no news on Kyle.

“James was sad, he wasn’t crying but I could see he was clearly upset his best mate was missing,” Mr Jelly told the court.

Jenita Sloane, a friend of Toni-Lee Sabin told the court that Toni had told her she heard Kyle’s voice talking to James at the verandah of the house that Friday night while she was in the bedroom. 

Another witness Toni Norman also testified that Toni-Lee Sabin had told her she heard Kyle at the house that night.

Next to testify was James’s friend Steve Pope who saw James the morning after the disappearance.

James called him to ask for an antibiotic for his dog who was ill.

Mr Pope came around to the house where he administered the antibiotic but did not discuss the events of the night before.

James’s father Michael Coleman was next up and he said he kept the guns James used at his house.

He was unsure what guns James took on the week of the Undilla Station trip because he was on night shift that week and asleep during most of the day.

He admitted shells found at the scene in Undilla were from his collection but couldn’t explain why Kyle Coleman’s bloodstains were found on the butt of his shotgun.

“Boys will be boys, they were probably both shooting with it, he may have cut himself,” he said.

Mr Coleman said he hardly saw his son in the last week of his life.

Together they search the riverbank for Kyle on the Tuesday where he said his son was quiet and seemed depressed.

“I’m guessing it had a lot to do with the police, pushing him. He was under a lot of pressure,” Mr Coleman said.

On the day of his son’s suicide, he said Toni had contacted him, worried about his state of mind.

Mr Coleman went around to James’s house but couldn’t find his son. He headed to the hospital to see if James had checked in but on the way he got a phone call saying James was found dead at the back of the property.

“I hardly got to see my son in that last week,” he told the court.

“I lost two sons that week, Kyle was like a son to us too, they were the best of mates.”

The last to give evidence on Wednesday was James’s mother Anne Coleman.

Mrs Coleman told the court she was still close to Toni-Lee Sabin and had recently texted her to say she loved her and to stay strong.

“We know the truth and what James said was the truth,” she told Ms Sabin in a text.

Mrs Coleman denied she sent that text so Ms Sabin would not change her testimony.

“It was just about love and support,” she said.

Mrs Coleman said she saw her son on the day after Kyle’s disappearance where he asked her had she seen Kyle while she was out on the street.

She said he was worried because he couldn’t get hold of Kyle and he repeated that Kyle had left the premises on foot the night before, while James was asleep on the couch.

The following day, she said James broke down and cried when there was still no sign of Kyle.

She said she gave him a cuddle and comforted him.

Mrs Coleman was quizzed on her evidence about what she meant when she said something wasn’t “piecing together”.

She said it was just about her son’s concern for Kyle and the fact that he should have been located by then.

Mrs Coleman broke down in court when asked if she though James would have left her a farewell note.

Coroner Jan Bentley adjourned the court while Mrs Coleman was escorted away in tears.

The line of questioning was not continued when the court resumed.

Mrs Coleman was asked if she saw the guns when James returned them on the Saturday and she said she didn’t.

Evidence concludes tomorrow.