A woman who had a sexual relationship with Alois Rez has told Dubbo Local Court the pair had been discussing a future together in the weeks before his disappearance, which included him leaving his partner in Dubbo.
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Amanda Jaye Vine was giving evidence at a committal hearing for Rez’s partner Sarah Renea Tarrant and her alleged lover Raymond Isaac Roff, 52, who are accused of killing Rez.
The father-of-six went missing from Alfred Street in Dubbo, in July 2013 and police believe he was murdered.
His body has not been found.
Ms Vine said she was living with Rez and Tarrant at the time she began a relationship with Rez.
Responding to questions from Tarrant’s barrister Ian Nash, Ms Vine said she sent Tarrant a Facebook message soon after she found out about Rez’s disappearance and Tarrant’s arrest.
Mr Nash asked if it contained words to the effect of ‘you should have necked up instead of hurting my boy’ and queried whether that meant she should hang herself.
“I just found out the love of my life had been murdered,” she said.
Ms Vine told the court apart from disagreements about Tarrant’s smoking, she had not witnessed fights between Rez and Tarrant, nor had he raised his voice to her.
Earlier in the day, family friend Darlene Proberts told the court she regretted not calling to check on Rez shortly before his disappearance, after his mother Zonia had asked her to do as the latter left to visit Sydney.
“She was worried for him,” Ms Proberts said.
“It was like she had a funny feeling. It’s played on my mind that I didn’t check on him.”
Eight witnesses called to give evidence yesterday were questioned about the nature of Rez and Tarrant’s relationship.
Hamish Lowe, who had lived with Rez and Tarrant in Alfred Street, said the pair would avoid each other and Tarrant would often sleep on the living room sofa. He described Rez as “a loving father” who had given up a rough past and involvement with the Rebels motorcycle club for his family.
“He said he had been suspended (from the club) but decided to leave - I don’t know why he was suspended,” Mr Lowe said.
He said he was aware Rez had been involved in dealing drugs, specifically amphetamines, and that Rez had sent Tarrant to pick them up from time to time.
Mr Nash asked Mr Lowe about a Facebook post Rez had posted regarding “shooting motherf--kers stone cold dead”.
“I remember it being a volatile message, and I sent him a message telling him to stop putting stupid things on Facebook.”
Yesterday marked the end of the murder committal hearing in Dubbo.
Magistrate Andrew Eckhold ordered Roff and Tarrant to face the Supreme Court on March 6, 2015.