Barrister for Kyle Coleman’s parents Dennis Lynch called for an unlawful killing finding saying that Kyle Coleman never returned from Undilla Station on February 21, 2014 and was killed there by James Coleman (no relation) on their camping trip that weekend.

Mr Lynch said his findings were based on the many lies in James Coleman’s testimony after he returned to Mount Isa on February 22.

Mr Lynch said those lies included telling police they had only gone to the first crossing at the Undilla property before turning back, failing to disclose he had two weapons, telling people Kyle Coleman had come back to his house before leaving on foot with his backpack and swag, telling people he lost his mobile phone, and lying by omission when he failed to tell police he had cleaned his car on Saturday morning.

Mr Lynch said James Coleman’s girlfriend Toni-Lee Sabin was an unreliable witness who was trying to protect her boyfriend while her brother Troy Sabin Jr had given evidence that James was “silly” with guns, telling a work colleague “he’s going to kill someone some day”.

The counsel assisting the coroner Stephanie Williams also concluded that Kyle Coleman died in Undilla Station on either February 21 or 22  and James Coleman lied about his return to Mount Isa.

“However there is no evidence of any dispute or ill will between the pair and no reason the death was intentional,” Ms Williams said.

Ms Williams concluded the death was likely the result of a gunshot accident.

Earlier Detective Senior Constable Megan Johnston who led the investigation told the court the phone records showed that both James and Kyle’s phone went out of range around midday on Friday, February 21 and both came back in range around 9am on Saturday, February 22.

Det Sen Const Johnston said it was reasonable to assume the two phones were in close proximity when they came back in range but Kyle’s phone only had receiving messages from that time on including a text from James which read “hey man, what’s going on?”

She said both phones became inactive around Sunday afternoon which was around the time James Coleman claimed he lost his phone.

She also told the court Kyle Coleman’s bank account had not been touched since Friday, February 21 and there were no records from any transportation company of any movements on the Saturday.

Text records from James Coleman to his mother Anne Coleman also said he was returning “the guns” which suggested he had more than the one gun he told police.

James Coleman had not informed police about the Mossberg shotgun on which bloodstains were found which were later identified as being from Kyle Coleman.

Det Sen Const Johnston said she was convinced Kyle Coleman never returned from Undilla Station.

James’s girlfriend Toni-Lee Sabin, supported by her mother, earlier gave testimony where she contradicted the account of two earlier witnesses that she told them she had either seen or heard Kyle Coleman at their house on the Friday night.

She told the court she would have got up had she heard voices during the night.

Instead, she said, she woke to an empty house and the first time she saw James was on Saturday morning when he returned to the house just as she was about to get a lift to work from her father Troy Sabin Sr.

Ms Sabin said their contact was brief and no mention was made of what had happened on James’s trip away.

She said the first she found out was through a series of text messages she received while at work where James told the story they had returned during the night, were drinking on the veranda and then Kyle left with his backpack and swag while James was out getting a drink.

Ms Sabin agreed this was unusual for Kyle who usually left everything except his wallet and phone when he would go home during the night, coming back later to collect his belongings.

She also said James Coleman never changed his story of events even as police moved the search scene to Undilla Station on the Tuesday.

She said she did not know why police were searching at Undilla when he told her Kyle went missing in Mount Isa.

Ms Sabin broke down in tears when asked about the events on the day of her boyfriend’s suicide on the Wednesday.

Her brother Troy Sabin Jr gave evidence where he told of a previous camping expedition with James Coleman where his (James’s) behaviour was unsafe and he was “silly” around guns.

Mr Sabin denied however ever saying to another person that James had left a loaded gun on the dashboard, saying that he (Mr Sabin) had done that, not James.

He also said he could not recall a conversation with a workmate where he said James’s unsafe behaviour around guns meant “he would kill someone some day”.

With evidence now ended, Coroner Bentley said she would review the evidence and give her findings via a video link from Cairns, at a date to be advised.