Australia Australia - Theo Hayez, 18, Belgian backpacker, Byron Bay, 31 May 2019 #4

[dotr]

Hello my websleuth friends x
The disappearance of Theo breaks my heart so I can’t bring myself to read a lot about it.
( also I have been a long time reader but don’t really post at all ; I’m not very skilled at it …… here it goes )
8 years ago my daughter was invited to a private party at a very famous night club in Sydney . ( I’m telling you this because it is very similar to what happened to Theo , thank god nothing bad happened to my daughter)
my daughter had one drink ( at 5pm ) and text me that she was REALLY drunk ( my daughter was 19 years old ) . I said to my daughter “I will text you back in 30 minutes to check on you .” So after 30 minutes I did; no response. My gut instinct immediately kicked in ( I had a bad feeling ) .
5 minutes later my son called and said he had my daughter on the phone incoherent. My daughter couldn’t talk and couldn’t respond to my sons instructions. My son kept my daughter on the phone while my husband and I raced into the city to find her.
( because my son tracked her phone ) we found my daughter dangling off a pole in the middle of George st Sydney at 6pm . She was drugged ( drink spiked ) but she looked drunk . This is what she later said ;
* she got one drink from the bar
* she felt drunk weird
* barmaid/waitress told my daughter to go to the bathroom and freshen up
*she went to the bathroom to get fresh air and splash water on her face; …… the bathroom attendant said “ I’m calling security “ “ you are too drunk , you must leave the club “
* from that moment my daughter has no memory of being escorted out of the club
( all these things were too coincidental)
( also when a person is drugged like this they obey instructions )

when I found my daughter, there were 2 men following us ; one in a car , one by foot .

im telling you this because MOO is
Theo wasn’t drunk , someone spiked his drink .
It’s very very similar to what happened to my daughter ; security escorting him out onto the street like with my daughter
I called police the next day to report this incident, but they said my daughter had to come in and give a statement; she didn’t want to ; the club is famous and my daughter wanted to forget what happened

I found my daughter in time
My heart breaks for Theo x

Absolutely possible scenario, i have seen what you and your daughter have experienced and spiking happens with males too, imo, speculation.

Ws threads..
UK - Reports of ‘needle spiking’ in Britain drive young women, students to boycott bars, Oct. 2021

Canada - Drink tampering is in the spotlight, 2020

Byron Bay local Noeline Smith says missing backpacker Theo Hayez may have been spiked | Daily Mail Online
''Was Theo spiked? Mystery of missing backpacker takes another turn as local who led a search party claims backpacker's drink was tampered with at Byron Bay bar where he was last seen

• Theo Hayez was last seen leaving the Cheeky Monkey's bar in Byron Bay in May
• Noeline Smith believes Theo may have been spiked on night of disappearance
• Ms Smith said Cheeky Monkeys was well known for people having drinks spiked
• Theo had been kicked out of the bar after two drinks and was 'wobbly' on his feet''

 

[Ozgal]

Has Antoine given evidence yet??

The Live stream is awesome but also a pain with the amount of white screen time and hard to navigate to when evidence starts again. Hopefully some knowledgeable person edits the video's so the evidence given is just continuous

 

[dotr]

Theo Hayez's upset father STORMS OUT of inquest into his disappearance | Daily Mail Online
''Theo Hayez's upset father STORMS OUT of inquest into his son's disappearance as security guard gives evidence about how Byron Bay bar treated drunk patrons

• Theo's father Laurent Hayez stormed out during evidence by a security guard
• Shannon Mackie was the guard who removed Theo Hayez from Byron Bay club
• He said friends of intoxicated patrons were told their friend was outside
• Mr Hayez shook his head, waved his hand and left the courtroom at this point
• Shannon Mackie said that on CCTV footage, Theo did not appear drunk
• Guard Brad Hill said he may have been mistaken Theo's speech was slurred ''

 

[gregjrichards]

I have been following the inquest into Theo’s disappearance in the media. I feel so sorry for his loved ones because it looks like they are going to be left not knowing what happened to him and with many more questions than answers. I’m so sorry for the distress they continue to suffer and tragically there appears to be no end in sight, the emotional pain they must be experiencing is unimaginable.

Thank you to all of you for all your news updates and for caring about Theo and his loved ones.

 

[Ozgal]

I have been following the inquest into Theo’s disappearance in the media. I feel so sorry for his loved ones because it looks like they are going to be left not knowing what happened to him and with many more questions than answers. I’m so sorry for the distress they continue to suffer and tragically there appears to be no end in sight, the emotional pain they must be experiencing is unimaginable.

Thank you to all of you for all your news updates and for caring about Theo and his loved ones.

Yes agree my heart goes out to his family and friend's.

Sometimes I feel inquests needs to happen much earlier in cases, when information is fresh in witnesses memories IMO

 

[SaintGertrude]

I wonder if this person was ever looked at following Theo's disappearence.
Man charged with killing Tweed homeless man wanted over another murder – myGC.com.au

 

[SaintGertrude]

I wonder if this person was ever looked at following Theo's disappearence.
Man charged with killing Tweed homeless man wanted over another murder – myGC.com.au

I also remember a lady said that she thought she saw a man that looked 'dead' lying on the side of the road wearing similar clothes to Theo Hayez at a highway near Coffs Harbour. Has this been mentioned at the inquest.
Woman says she saw a man wearing the same clothes as Theo Hayez 'looking dead' on a highway | Daily Mail Online

 

[SaintGertrude]

Theo Hayez's upset father STORMS OUT of inquest into his disappearance | Daily Mail Online
''Theo Hayez's upset father STORMS OUT of inquest into his son's disappearance as security guard gives evidence about how Byron Bay bar treated drunk patrons

• Theo's father Laurent Hayez stormed out during evidence by a security guard
• Shannon Mackie was the guard who removed Theo Hayez from Byron Bay club
• He said friends of intoxicated patrons were told their friend was outside
• Mr Hayez shook his head, waved his hand and left the courtroom at this point
• Shannon Mackie said that on CCTV footage, Theo did not appear drunk
• Guard Brad Hill said he may have been mistaken Theo's speech was slurred ''

What does Theo have in his other hand outside of the nightclub on CCTV. His fingers look curled under as if he is holding something.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Does Theo have two phones in his hand in the CCTV photo outside the night club.

I wonder if this person was ever looked at following Theo's disappearence.
Man charged with killing Tweed homeless man wanted over another murder – myGC.com.au

This is interesting as a person described as a psychopath with a desire to kill in Tweed had a beard as well. Was he ever looked at in relation to Theo's disappearance.
Man accused of NSW killing also prime suspect in Queensland death
Quote:
Police allege the accused shaved off his beard and discarded clothing several times in an attempt to slip under authorities' radar.
"The man simply had a desire to kill somebody, unfortunately, that is what [we will allege] he did on two occasions," acting Inspector Edwards said.
"Psychopath may be a fitting word, but the matter is now before the court."

Here is the description of the bearded man in the Cheeky Monkey bar who as far as I know has never been identified.
Theo Hayez's upset father STORMS OUT of inquest into his disappearance | Daily Mail Online
Quote: 'CCTV footage shown to both backpackers from the interior of the club showed them sitting in a booth near the bar.
At one point more people arrive at the club, and a man with a beard approaches their table.
The man tried to engage the travellers in conversation while gesturing towards the bar.
Both women were quizzed as to whether they knew anything about the man or what he had said while standing at the table'.
'I would assume it was maybe something about how the [drink] card worked, or something... it doesn't jog a massive memory for me,' Ms Lloyd told the inquest

 

[Tintenbar]

Why did Theo google for Coraki when he was at the "Cheeky Monkeys" nightclub?

 

[Tintenbar]

5 people from the "Wake up" youth hostel accompanied Theo to the "Cheeky Monkeys" night club and no one noticed that he was missing.
Even the German backpacker who had planned to make the trip to Sydney with Theo on the Greyhound bus was not concerned when she didn't see him on the bus.

 

[annpats]

That area around Northern NSW has a bit of a criminal and drugs underbelly, sadly.

Coraki and Byron Bay Area both about 50km from Nimbin, the tiny town where in the countryside nearby they grow tons of the strongest cannabis in Australia.

Where there are drugs, there tends to be crime and maybe Theo was just unlucky and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Two news stories from different years in Coraki, which has a population of just 1,200+.

GUNS AND DRUGS SEIZED IN CORAKI POLICE RAID | NBN News

|Coraki Man High on Drink & Drugs before fatal crash: Daily Telegraph

 

[T-dawg420]

Closed court? What’s all that about?

 

[Ozgal]

Closed court? What’s all that about?

The NSW Coroner's Court in Byron Bay was then closed on Monday for a more detailed chronology of how data evidence was obtained, so sensitive information would not be revealed.

Largest search in Byron for backpacker

 

[Detective Willy]

DBM

 

[Mrs G Norris]

I live in the area, and know that bit of coastline quite well .. So I think Theo simply turned left when he should have turned right when leaving CheekyMonkeys, became disorientated, but saw the lighthouse beam and used that as a guide, so he went cross country across to the ocean .. Once there he could see the lighthouse to his left, so he walked along Tallows towards it, when he got to Cosy Corner at the end, not knowing the spot well and it being dark, he didn't climb up to the lighthouse which he could have quite easily and found himself safe, instead he decided to try and go around Cosy Corner to get to it, which is dangerous sea and rocks and unfortunately met his fate there.

My map is here, so if he had taken the pink route up to the lighthouse he would have been OK, but it was dark and he didn't know the terrain, so he took the green route sadly.

We have a friend who's son fell off those rocks a couple of years ago and was badly hurt, it looks a lot safer than it is.

 

[Detective Willy]

BBM. Google locations are not that accurate IMO.

I must have posted this before.. But this was my companion's location when she asked me to join her at Tallows Beach, when we went there. As recorded by Whatsapp using Google data:
View attachment 324859
Turned out she was sitting on the beach, not swimming in the sea.

I think google maps is pretty accurate most of the time though, especially if this is what has been released to the public by Police.

18 year old males on the drink (possibly intoxicated after being asked to leave the bar) and near to the ocean never seems to end well. I have lost count how many times a young male has gone missing near a waterway only to be found drowned in a lake or river.

The ocean is much worse too, especially with rips and tides etc. You only have to look back to last week and the tragic death of Chris Caserta at the Gold Coast.

 

[Mrs G Norris]

I think google maps is pretty accurate most of the time though, especially if this is what has been released to the public by Police.

18 year old males on the drink (possibly intoxicated after being asked to leave the bar) and near to the ocean never seems to end well. I have lost count how many times a young male has gone missing near a waterway only to be found drowned in a lake or river.

The ocean is much worse too, especially with rips and tides etc. You only have to look back to last week and the tragic death of Chris Caserta at the Gold Coast.

My first thought when this happened was he went for a midnight swim, lots of people do this, but after seeing the google data I feel he was just trying to make his way home, he knew the location of his backpackers in relation to the lighthouse, and it being the most obvious landmark especially at night he's tried to use it to get home. Poor kid!

 

[HinterlandObserver]

In the Daily Mail article communicated by Via marple, it is stated in the paragraph "The last movements of Theo Hayez" that Theo "was seen dancing on a table" at 10:44 pm. At 10:55 p.m., "he was seen swaying by security guards as he left the toilet and told to leave". Is this the truth ?
Because if that's ever the truth, how can the coroner tell Theo wasn't a "problem drinker"? Does a sober person start dancing on the tables?

One of the “dance floors” in cheeky monkeys was tables with checker plate on them to accomodate people dancing on them. It was just the done thing in that establishment.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I live in the area, and know that bit of coastline quite well .. So I think Theo simply turned left when he should have turned right when leaving CheekyMonkeys, became disorientated, but saw the lighthouse beam and used that as a guide, so he went cross country across to the ocean .. Once there he could see the lighthouse to his left, so he walked along Tallows towards it, when he got to Cosy Corner at the end, not knowing the spot well and it being dark, he didn't climb up to the lighthouse which he could have quite easily and found himself safe, instead he decided to try and go around Cosy Corner to get to it, which is dangerous sea and rocks and unfortunately met his fate there.

My map is here, so if he had taken the pink route up to the lighthouse he would have been OK, but it was dark and he didn't know the terrain, so he took the green route sadly.

We have a friend who's son fell off those rocks a couple of years ago and was badly hurt, it looks a lot safer than it is.

Are you saying that on your photo - on the green path - when you reach the point where beach meets water, it's not obvious in the dark that you're going to end up precariously above the ocean; instead it looks as if you can climb onto the rocks and follow a safe-enough trail around the hill (and then back up to Lighthouse road?) But that in fact, it's not a legitimate trail at all?
Is there something they could do to prevent people from thinking it's a trail?
MOO.