Vic: Father was in control of car before it entered dam: expert

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2006
Vic: Father was in control of car before it entered dam: expert

By Kate Lahey

GEELONG, Vic, Aug 16, AAP - Accused murderer Robert Farquharson was in control of his
car from the moment it left a highway until it ploughed into a dam, drowning his three
sons, a collisions expert has told a court.

Senior Constable Glen Urquhart today told Geelong Magistrates' Court that Farquharson's
car had followed distinct steering movements which could not have been made by an unconscious
person, when it veered off the Princes Highway and into a Victorian dam on Father's Day
last September.

Farquharson, 37, of Winchelsea, has denied murdering Jai, 10, Tyler, seven, and Bailey,
two, claiming he suffered a coughing fit and blacked out while driving.

Sen Const Urquhart, examined the crash scene at Winchelsea, south-west of Melbourne,
and later reconstructed the car's journey on the same section of road in eight different
tests.

"The path that the vehicle travelled once it left the road and prior to it leaving
the road ... is something that I don't believe an unconscious person with no control over
the vehicle would have travelled," Sen Const Urquhart said.

He said if Farquharson had been unconscious, even if he convulsed with his hand on
the wheel, the path the car took would have been different.

Prosecutor Jeremy Rapke, QC, asked Sen Const Urquhart, "is it your opinion that this
car was in the control of the driver from the moment it left the highway until it entered
the dam?".

"Absolutely," he replied.

Winchelsea man Greg King also gave evidence today about a secretly taped conversation
he had with Farquharson after the tragedy.

Mr King was wired by police after he told them Farquharson had previously talked of
killing his sons to punish his former wife, Cindy Gambino, who is now pregnant to her
new boyfriend Stephen Moules.

Mr King alleged Farquharson spoke of dreaming about a dam and that he mentioned a special
day such as Fathers' Day.

During the taped conversation, Mr King told Farquharson he was worried about the alleged
conversation and would seek counselling.

The court heard Farquharson told Mr King he was mistaken and urged him not to discuss
it with a counsellor.

Mr Rapke said Farquharson told King, "you misinterpret what I said and then they're
going to have it on file and they're going to have to go to the police and that's going
to incriminate me".

Mr King held back tears and struggled to answer questions in the witness box today.

He said he did not want to be in court.

"I don't want to come between my families and I don't want to put my mate in," he said.

Farquharson's lawyer Russell Sarah accused Mr King of making the story up.

"These statements contain a pack of lies, that's the reason you don't want to be here,"

Mr Sarah said.

Mr King denied making it up.

The committal hearing continues tomorrow before Magistrate Jon Klestadt.

AAP kl/dk/jt/sd

KEYWORD: FARQUHARSON NIGHTLEAD

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