Australia Australia - Tegan Lane, 2 days old, Sydney, 14 Sept 1996 *K. Lane guilty*

[sosocurious]

Yes. Thank you. The lies told before Tegan's death were not evidence of murder and were only admissible because of their value in relation to the perjury charges. The lies after Tegan's death, the jury was entitled to take as evidence of guilt. The trial judge's instruction was, if anything, favourable to Keli:

Justice Whealy told the NSW Supreme Court jury this morning that there could be many reasons - “sometimes very understandable reasons” - why a person was motivated to tell lies.

“You must not fall into the error of thinking that if a person has told a lie, then that lie in itself can prove guilt - it cannot,” Justice Whealy said.

“A lie can be told for many reasons.”

Mr Tedeschi said Lane gave her “first version” about Tegan to a social worker at Auburn hospital the day after her birth, saying she and her boyfriend would be taking the infant to London in three months “for a couple of years”.

The second version was contained in Ryde hospital medical notes at the time of her third child's birth, which records that Tegan “remained with (Lane) ... was breastfed by her for six months”.

Lane then told adoption and DoCS workers that “there was no other baby”, Mr Tedeschi said, noting the third version.

But Mr Tedeschi said it was the fourth, fifth, and sixth versions that were “what lawyers call consciousness of guilt lies” - allegedly made at a time when Lane knew a police investigation was either about to commence, or was already in progress.

We’re for Sydney | Daily Telegraph

Tegan Lan'es father 'the invisible man', court hears

 

[JLZ]

Mr Tedeschi said Lane gave her “first version” about Tegan to a social worker at Auburn hospital the day after her birth, saying she and her boyfriend would be taking the infant to London in three months “for a couple of years”.

The second version was contained in Ryde hospital medical notes at the time of her third child's birth, which records that Tegan “remained with (Lane) ... was breastfed by her for six months”.

Lane then told adoption and DoCS workers that “there was no other baby”, Mr Tedeschi said, noting the third version.

But Mr Tedeschi said it was the fourth, fifth, and sixth versions that were “what lawyers call consciousness of guilt lies” - allegedly made at a time when Lane knew a police investigation was either about to commence, or was already in progress.

We’re for Sydney | Daily Telegraph

Tegan Lan'es father 'the invisible man', court hears

I was thinking also about the lies when the previous child was born. But now I'm confused.

 

[The Observer]

• they failed to disclose all the evidence as required under court rules.
• they coached a witness (possibly to the point of committing perjury).
• they reached an agreement about court process (presentation and cross examination of witnesses) with the defence, and failed to disclose this to the judge (or others).

(snipped for brevity; I may return to the rest of your post later because there is much there that I disagree with)

Just on your points 2 and 3. The "witness" who appears to have been coached was not a witness: did not give evidence at the trial. And I may have missed it, but I don't recall hearing that the judge did not know about the witness swap. Can you please substantiate that this was not arranged with the cognisance of the judge? There is always a lot of argument and negotiation that happens away from the jury, either before or during the trial. Nothing dodgy about it.

Further on this, if the information Rachel Chin provided from her attendance at the pre-trial is correct then judging by the testimony surely this is a non-issue. Why would the defense want Natalie McCauley to testify anyway in the trial after what she said in pre-trial!? It's a little hard to say Andrew Morris was coached when he even stated in pre-trial the only thing he could remember was the girl he had sex with had blonde hair and black eyebrows.

 

[JLZ]

Further on this, if the information Rachel Chin provided from her attendance at the pre-trial is correct then judging by the testimony surely this is a non-issue. Why would the defense want Natalie McCauley to testify anyway in the trial after what she said in pre-trial!? It's a little hard to say Andrew Morris was coached when he even stated in pre-trial the only thing he could remember was the girl he had sex with had blonde hair and black eyebrows.

Thank you! I am enjoying these book extracts. I haven't read them before.

I thought Natalie would have been a weak witness but I didn't expect as weak as that.

 

[Seabreeze1]

The thing that doesn't sit right with me is after being torn up about the first abortion why would she adopt out two babies but kill another in-between the two adoptees it just doesn't fit? I however feel that she knows where she is and for some reason cannot say.

 

[sosocurious]

Thank you! I am enjoying these book extracts. I haven't read them before.

I thought Natalie would have been a weak witness but I didn't expect as weak as that.

Ditto - thanks observer.

 

[The Observer]

Thank you! I am enjoying these book extracts. I haven't read them before.

I thought Natalie would have been a weak witness but I didn't expect as weak as that.

You're welcome. If there's anything in particular you'd like a excerpt of just let me know!

Same goes for you soscurious!

 

[JLZ]

The thing that doesn't sit right with me is after being torn up about the first abortion why would she adopt out two babies but kill another in-between the two adoptees it just doesn't fit? I however feel that she knows where she is and for some reason cannot say.

I think the abortions were unpleasant so she went for adoption. But the adoption was traumatic so next time she did something else--presumably abandoned Tegan. But that was even worse so she went back to adoption.

I speculate that she may have wanted Duncan to realize she was pregnant with Tegan, and felt angry and betrayed when he apparently didn't. And so part of her thought, all right, if he's going to pretend she doesn't exist, let her not exist. That is on the assumption that Duncan was the father.

 

[sosocurious]

The thing that doesn't sit right with me is after being torn up about the first abortion why would she adopt out two babies but kill another in-between the two adoptees it just doesn't fit? I however feel that she knows where she is and for some reason cannot say.

Weird
What doesn't sit right with me is that Keli would adopt and not tell the bio father or the sub.

Than presumably tell someone you know very little about and hooked up with a half dozen times that you are pregnant, and early on. Develop a plan that he, his girlfriend and mum would come and collect the baby on discharge from the hospital.

Than adopt - repeating the first scenario all over again.

Maybe, Keli found it easier to live with having adopted out children than what ever it is that happened to Tegan.

 

[The Observer]

The thing that doesn't sit right with me is after being torn up about the first abortion why would she adopt out two babies but kill another in-between the two adoptees it just doesn't fit? I however feel that she knows where she is and for some reason cannot say.

Yes I think a lot of people feel that way. I think her breaking in pattern is what gives people the feeling/impression/assumption that she must've had someone to give the baby too. IYKWIM.

Keli told her father (he testified to it) that when he asked why she didn't have an abortion (Tegan) she told him that abortion wasn't an option because she couldn't hurt a baby. This is before her parents found out she'd already had two terminations and attempted a third.

 

[sosocurious]

Yes I think a lot of people feel that way. I think her breaking in pattern is what gives people the feeling/impression/assumption that she must've had someone to give the baby too. IYKWIM.

Keli told her father (he testified to it) that when he asked why she didn't have an abortion (Tegan) she told him that abortion wasn't an option because she couldn't hurt a baby. This is before her parents found out she'd already had two terminations and attempted a third.

Did her parents ever give signed statements to the police? I wonder.
Bit tricky - you wouldn't know what she was going to say next.

 

[JLZ]

Weird
What doesn't sit right with me is that Keli would adopt and not tell the bio father or the sub.

Than presumably tell someone you know very little about and hooked up with a half dozen times that you are pregnant, and early on. Develop a plan that he, his girlfriend and mum would come and collect the baby on discharge from the hospital.

Than adopt - repeating the first scenario all over again.

Maybe, Keli found it easier to live with having adopted out children than what ever it is that happened to Tegan.

Not quite sure of his name, doesn't know his ongoing address. All she really knows is that he's goodlooking, faithless to his partner, and aggressive and insulting over the pregnancy, for which he was equally to blame. But here, have my little girl.

 

[sosocurious]

Not quite sure of his name, doesn't know his ongoing address. All she really knows is that he's goodlooking, faithless to his partner, and aggressive and insulting over the pregnancy, for which he was equally to blame. But here, have my little girl.

it does not make any sense at all.

 

[sosocurious]

deleted

 

[The Observer]

Did her parents ever give signed statements to the police? I wonder.
Bit tricky - you wouldn't know what she was going to say next.

Not sure they were asked too. I think after Det Gaut visited them at their house and told them about the other babies and by their reaction it was clear they had no idea or nothing to offer. But someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[The Observer]

I indeed stand corrected They did indeed refuse to give written statements.

 

[sosocurious]

I indeed stand corrected They did indeed refuse to give written statements.

Thanks again. I recalled reading something about that. As I don't have the book I have a feeling it was referencing the book...dunno.

So why would Keli's parents refuse to give formal written statements? They knew nothing.

 

[Via Marple]

The thing that doesn't sit right with me is after being torn up about the first abortion why would she adopt out two babies but kill another in-between the two adoptees it just doesn't fit? I however feel that she knows where she is and for some reason cannot say.

Dr Buist the psychiatrist who saw her for Exposed ABC, was essentially saying the same thing, that her adoptions show that she was a planning person, so no reason she should panic in the 2nd birth and murdered the baby.

But I would argue (not knowing my place) that the Tegan 'adoption' didn't show any similar level of planning at all. Not that she planned very well for the first and the third, but she did show some tendency for control - I read somewhere that she asked for the adoptive parents to be Anglo and active.

Then with Tegan and her "adoptive new family"... See all the arguments above! Of course Andrew was supposed to be Anglo, and perhaps active, but with a direct handover at the hospital, she could have made more requests and plans. Not really though. She didn't even get Andrew to do the follow-up with the hospital programs.

There are certainly a few things that Keli still isn't telling.

 

[The Observer]

Dr Buist the psychiatrist who saw her for Exposed ABC, was essentially saying the same thing, that her adoptions show that she was a planning person, so no reason she should panic in the 2nd birth and murdered the baby.

But I would argue (not knowing my place) that the Tegan 'adoption' didn't show any similar level of planning at all. Not that she planned very well for the first and the third, but she did show some tendency for control - I read somewhere that she asked for the adoptive parents to be Anglo and active.

Then with Tegan and her "adoptive new family"... See all the arguments above! Of course Andrew was supposed to be Anglo, and perhaps active, but with a direct handover at the hospital, she could have made more requests and plans. Not really though. She didn't even get Andrew to do the follow-up with the hospital programs.

There are certainly a few things that Keli still isn't telling.

Speaking of the handover at the hospital does anyone know the point at which she changed her story from giving Tegan to Andrew in the carpark outside to Andrew coming to her room and then going down to the foyer together to Mel and his mother for the handover!?

I can't find anything that states the foyer version that's not regarding the Exposed series. Odd.

 

[sosocurious]

Speaking of the handover at the hospital does anyone know the point at which she changed her story from giving Tegan to Andrew in the carpark outside to Andrew coming to her room and then going down to the foyer together to Mel and his mother for the handover!?

I can't find anything that states the foyer version that's not regarding the Exposed series. Odd.

Only mention of foyer I have been able to find prior to Exposed is the foyer in the block of units at Wisbeach.
Can only find mention of the car park prior to that. Andrew was going to organise the car seat and drive her home. Very well planned.