Joanne on flight to UK after trial drama
JOANNE Lees was due to land in Britain today - hours after confessing to having a secret lover.
The former Almondbury woman was expected to land at Heathrow after a flight from Singapore.
She flew to Asia after completing her evidence in the Darwin hearing against a man alleged to have murdered her boyfriend, Peter Falconio, of Hepworth.
But the hearing was stunned yesterday when Miss Lees confirmed she had sex with a man named Nick in Sydney just before she and Peter set off on their trip around Australia.
She also admitted emailing `Nick' in Sydney the week before her long-time boyfriend was allegedly murdered and suggested they meet up in Berlin.
Under defence cross examination at the committal hearing of Bradley Murdoch, the man accused of murdering Mr Falconio, she admitted she was having a sexual relationship over several weeks with Nick before she and Mr Falconio set off.
Asked if she had had sex with another man, she replied: "I'm going to answer yes, but I wouldn't class it as an affair or a relationship."
The day before she had answered `no' when asked by the defence if she had had a relationship with Nick, believed to be another English backpacker.
After Mr Falconio's disappearance in the Northern Territory in July 2001, police questioned Ms Lees about her second email account and her relationship with Nick, the court heard.
Defence lawyer Grant Algie asked Ms Lees, from Brighton, Sussex, if she was planning to meet up with Nick in Berlin on the way home to the UK.
Ms Lees said she had made that suggestion.
Murdoch, 45, is charged with the murder of Mr Falconio, from Hepworth, and the unlawful assault and deprivation of liberty of Miss Lees.
Miss Lees admitted she was corresponding with Nick by email after July 14, 2001 - the day Falconio disappeared beside a lonely stretch of the Stuart Highway.
Today the court heard that swabs taken from Mr Falconio's Kombi camper van three years ago to test for gunpowder residue had still not been processed.
Mr Falconio was allegedly shot at the back of his Kombi van.
Two Alice Springs crime scene technicians who examined evidence, including the van, a blood stain on the road, and tyre tracks at the site of the alleged attack, began their evidence.
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