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DRUG dealer Robert Pashkuss told an associate he was being “harassed” by members out an outlaw motorcycle group to continue to sell amphetamines in the months before he and his partner, Stacey McMaugh, were brutally murdered in their Caves Beach home, Newcastle Coroner’s Court has heard.
A witness told the coronial inquest into the double murder in 2008 that Mr Pashkuss had grown “concerned” about his business dealings with a group of bikies.
Mr Pashkuss, 51, and 41-year-old Ms McMaugh were bludgeoned to death in their Macquarie Grove home between 10.10pm on January 5, 2008 and 11am the following day.
The inquest has heard Mr Pashkuss’ murder was more than likely related to his drug dealing activities, while his partner, a lauded community volunteer, was an “innocent bystander”, who may have been murdered because she could identify the killers.
"He did tell me he was buying some cheap [amphetamines] off some bikers,” the witness, who the Newcastle Herald has chosen not to identify, told the inquest on Friday.
"Well, he wasn't real impressed with the bikers at the time, I remember he told me that.
"Because [the drug] was usually rubbish and it wasn't worth the drama.
“I don't know what sort of drama, but he wasn't happy with the deal.
"They kept on pushing him and wanted him to buy and he wasn't real keen.
“He didn't say he was being threatened he just said that they were harassing him to buy and it wasn't worth the drama.
“I said to him at the time why are you even mucking around with these imbeciles and he knew that he shouldn't have been, I think.”
The witness said the conversation occurred a few months before Mr Pashkuss and Ms McMaugh were murdered.
Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer asked the witness if Mr Pashkuss seemed genuinely scared of the men.
“No, just concerned,” he said.
“I don't know about scared.”
He also said he thought Mr Pashkuss had changed his amphetamine supplier to the outlaw motorcycle group, but wasn’t sure who was supplying him before that.
Several witnesses have spoken about Mr Pashkuss’ drug dealing practices, the strict business hours he kept and how he rarely discussed business with friends.
And others have given evidence about how Mr Pashkuss was becoming increasingly paranoid that he was being watched by law enforcement.
Phil Mason, who said he was one of Mr Pashkuss’ oldest friends, said “no one” could get into Mr Pashkuss’ house after 9pm.
He described Mr Pashkuss as “honest” and said he did a lot to help people in the Swansea Belmont area.
“He was a bit of a rouge and he was the nicest person anyone could ever meet,” Mr Mason said.
“Apart from what he may have been doing, it had no bearing on who he was.”
But despite saying he desperately wanted the killers brought to justice, Mr Mason answered “no comment” to just about every other one of Ms Dwyer’s questions about Mr Pashkuss’ drug operation.
A typical exchange went like this.
Ms Dwyer: “Mr Mason, did [witness] give you any information about the murders?”
Mr Mason: “Yes.”
Ms Dwyer: “What was that?”
Mr Mason: “No comment.”
Ms Dwyer: “Why are you telling us no comment?”
Mr Mason: “Because I am telling you no comment.”
Ms Dwyer: “Mr Mason ordinarily when people are subpoenaed to give evidence and you swear an oath to tell the truth....”
Mr Mason: “I am telling the truth. That's why I'm telling you no comment.”
Ms Dwyer: “I understand you want to genuinely assist the court and you told me outside you were particularly concerned about Robert and Stacey’s children and you want them to know what happened. If there is a good reason for you telling us no comment, can you just let us know that.”
Mr Mason: “There's a good reason, yeah.”
Ms Dwyer: “What's the good reason.”
Mr Mason: “No comment.”
At one stage Mr Mason said: “I'd probably be the best detective for Rob, so I'll stick to the no comment.”
He ultimately admitted that he was frightened for his safety in the wake of his friend’s death.
Ms Dwyer said phone records showed Mr Mason had called Mr Pashkuss at 8.21am on the day he died and the pair had spoken for more than eight minutes.
But Mr Mason didn’t remember the call.
Then, as it appeared Ms Dwyer was building to a breakthrough in the case, Mr Mason offered another “no comment”.
“We know that on the afternoon of Saturday 5th of January Rob was seen outside speaking with three people and there seemed to be some sort of argument,” Ms Dwyer said.
“Do you know of anybody who Rob was having a meeting with?”
“Excellent work,” remarked Mr Mason.
“Who are they?” Ms Dwyer asked.
“OK then,” Mr Mason replied. “No comment.”
Ms Dwyer closed the court for more than half an hour to take the rest of Mr Mason’s evidence.
Another witness, Matthew Crawford, one of the four men publicly named in March as those who could help the investigation, said he stayed in playing video games on the night of the murders.
Ms Dwyer said a witness had told police they saw Mr Crawford’s distinctive West Tigers ute parked outside Mr Pashkuss’ home between 7pm and 8pm on January 5, 2008.
But Mr Crawford said he had GPS logs from his car that showed it hadn’t moved from his driveway at Belmont all night.
He said he had offered them to detectives during the investigation but they refused to accept them.
Finally, Simone Cook was called to give evidence for a second time, where Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon chided her for “not telling the truth” and being selective with her memory about the involvement of another man publicly named in March, Owen Keeley.
The inquest will reconvene at a date to be fixed before the end of the year, Ms Dwyer said.
Mr Dillon reiterated that he had recommended the reward for information be at least doubled from $100,000.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.