GERARD Baden-Clay's disgruntled business partners told him to choose between his wife and his mistress after the affair began to affect their real estate agency, a court was told.
In a third day of evidence in a committal hearing at the Brisbane Magistrates Court, former partners of the real estate agent told of his "on again, off again" affair with colleague Toni McHugh.
The court also heard from a forensic expert who said Baden-Clay's wife Allison, 43, could not have died from an overdose of anti-depressant medication because there was only a "therapeutic dose" in her system when she died.
Gerard Baden-Clay’s extramarital affair contributed to the demise of his business in the months before his wife Allison disappeared, a court has heard.
The prestige real estate agent in Brisbane’s affluent western suburbs co-owned the Century 21 Westside franchise with fellow agents Jocelyn Frost and Phillip Broom.
The former business partners faced each other for the first time since the agency’s demise across a Brisbane court room on Wednesday afternoon.
THE accused was in court. But you would have been excused for not realising it.
Soon after entering the dock of Court 17 on level four of Brisbane's Magistrates Court yesterday, Gerard Robert Baden-Clay sat in the seat in the deepest recess of the glass-walled box to the right of the court.
For the whole day's proceedings Baden-Clay was out of sight, away from the glare of the public gallery, visible to only two or three people in the far left of the first row.
Court artists had to lean out of their seats and crane their necks for inspiration.
Also today, the court was told prosecutors no longer wished to call the Baden-Clays' marriage counsellor to give evidence. Her employer, Relationships Australia, had objected to her testifying and also to the tendering of documents relating to the counselling sessions.
Prosecutor Danny Boyle said the issues relating to her evidence would not be argued "at this stage".
The committal hearing continues.
In the lead-up to Baden-Clay's arrest for murder and interfering with a corpse, Ms McHugh said he told her she needed to "fall in love with someone else" and told her he did not kill his wife.
"One time he did tell me that he was calling to tell me he did not know what had gone wrong, that he wasn't responsible for anything that had happened," she said.
Read more here. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...ms-disappearance/story-e6freoof-1226623779873IN the past 12 months, Allison has been constantly in our thoughts.
Not for the circumstances and uncertain nature of her passing, but for the wonderful person she was. For the joy she brought to us all.
And for the lesson of selfless sacrifice she gave through the actions of her everyday life. Regardless of her own struggles and hurdles, Allison never stopped thinking of others first and foremost.
Allison, who was humble by nature, was extravagant only in her giving.
And she gave to all who came into her life, friends and thieves alike. She epitomised what it meant to be a loving mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunty and friend.
After 12 months, Allison is missed more than ever, and she is most surely not forgotten.
We all have special personal memories of the wonderful woman she was.
"Allison was a hard worker and a high achiever, and always looking to improve herself," she said.
"She was always strong enough to believe that no matter what, everything was going to be fine.
"Her favourite quote was from Winnie the Pooh when he asks Piglet: 'What day is it?'. 'It's today,' replied Piglet. 'My favourite day', said Pooh.' "
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...y-children-trust/story-e6freoof-1226623872147RONI Johnson didn't have to know Allison Baden-Clay to want to make a difference to the lives of her three daughters.
The two Brookfield mums never met, but when Allison disappeared, Ms Johnson thought of the young girls waiting at home.
"The moment I heard about it I was saddened because she was just a normal local mum," Ms Johnson said yesterday.
"Everyone was praying from the word go that it would be OK.
"She was a mum who was missing and she had three little girls who were at home and were waiting for her."
Ms Johnson found a way to help, organising a cricket match and family day last year which raised $50,000 for the siblings.
The fundraiser will go ahead again this year at the Brookfield Showground in what will be an annual event in Allison's memory.