FORMER police detective Brad Hosemans had initially told police he was staying at his mother's house near Newcastle when Janine Vaughan disappeared four-and-a-half years ago.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Yesterday he admitted he may have been in Bathurst on December 7, 2001, the morning Janine vanished.
The revelation came during Mr Hosemans' first appearance at the Police Integrity Commission's (PIC's) public hearing in Orange yesterday.
In December 2002, 12 months after Ms Vaughan disappeared, the then Detective Sergeant made a statement to head of Operation TOKO, Detective Inspector Paul Jacobs that he was staying with his mother between December 3 and December 7.
Det Sgt Hosemans made the statement to Det Insp Jacobs' after allegations of a relationship between Hosemans and Ms Vaughan emerged.
In a highly protected document between the Crime Agency and Hosemans, drafted in December 2002, Det Sgt Hosemans had to answer allegations he'd had been in contact with Janine Vaughan in the months prior to his disappearance, allegations Hosemans' has always denied.
In the statement Hosemans said he left his mother's house on December 7, but yesterday said he couldn't say with certainty if it was in fact December 6 or December 7 when he returned home to Bathurst.
The anomaly arose after Hosemans admitted he'd relied on a bank statement, which placed him in Wyong on December 7, (where he refuelled his 4WD before returning home) when making the statement three years ago.
However, just this week, when sorting through documents in preparation for the PIC public hearing Mr Hosemans said he found the EFTPOS receipt from when he purchased the fuel, dated December 6.
The purchase had appeared on his bank statement dated the following day, December 7.
Council assisting the commissioner Mark Buscombe grilled Hosemans on the error, saying at the time it essentially gave him an alibi.
"It indicated you were not present at the place where the crime took place, you said, in a statement you were not in Bathurst on the evening of December 6, 2001," Mr Buscombe said.
Mr Hosemans responded saying he'd only just discovered the EFTPOS receipt, and didn't know it had existed until this week, when he was sorting through documents, which he'd kept for taxation purposes.
Mr Hosemans said he'd relied on his bank statement when making his statement to Insp Jacobs, assuming its accuracy.
"I utilised documents I had to assist me in recalling my whereabouts at the time.
"I didn't even know I had the [EFTPOS] receipt until this week, when I found it in a box," he said.
Mr Hosemans' is expected to re-appear before the hearing today.
