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The "distressed" husband of accused Sydney fraudster Melissa Caddick has been stood down from giving evidence after becoming "confused" by questions asked to him at an inquest into her disappearance.
- Anthony Koletti reported his wife missing, claiming she had gone for a run and hadn't returned
- An inquest heard there was no evidence of Ms Caddick going for regular runs
- It is the second week of the inquest into the alleged fraudster's disappearance
Ms Caddick went missing in November, 2020, hours after a lengthy raid on their Dover Heights home by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and Australian Federal Police.
ASIC was investigating an alleged Ponzi scheme run by the 49-year-old, which the inquest has been told involved alleged fraud of between $20 million and $30 million.
Her husband, Anthony Koletti, today told an inquest he gave untruthful information to police about her routine and the morning she vanished.
An inquest into her suspected death has heard Mr Koletti reported Ms Caddick missing 30 hours after he claimed to have last seen her and told police she had gone for a morning run, as she always did.
However, the court has also been told there is no evidence of Ms Caddick ever running outside in the morning in the month prior.
Counsel Assisting Jason Downing SC put it to Mr Koletti that he had not given truthful answers to police questions.
"Um, yes, I would agree with that," he said.
"Why did you lie to police?" Mr Downing asked.
"I don't know if it was a lie, it was referring to her exercising every day," Mr Koletti said, after explaining she sometimes used a treadmill and didn't have any set routine.
Mr Downing persisted with the line of questioning for some time.
"Do you know what truthful means?" he asked.
"Yes," Mr Koletti replied.
"You're just confusing me with questions."
Mr Koletti was again asked by police in a recorded statement, about two weeks after his wife's disappearance, whether a morning run was a regular occurrence and, again, he replied it was.
However, in court, Mr Koletti claimed it was "an assumption" and the answer was what he "believed to be true" at the time.
It was put to Mr Koletti that he was trying to find a way to justify his "long delay" in going to police.
"No, I wasn't," he said.
On several occasions, Mr Koletti told the court he was confused by the questions.
"The way that you talk is not the way my mind works," he said.
Later, Mr Downing was pressing Mr Koletti about the morning Ms Caddick vanished and when he realised her phone was left behind.
"You're just going round in circles like you were before," Mr Koletti said.
"I saw her last at 4am and that's really all I can say about it. I can't answer these questions."
Mr Downing asked: "Is it because you're distressed and you're finding it difficult to follow?"
Mr Koletti replied: "Yes".
Judy Swan, who is representing Mr Koletti, told the court her client was trying to answer questions but was "obviously struggling with the nuances".
Deputy state coroner Elizabeth Ryan said the questions were legitimate and relevant to her duty to determine if Ms Caddick is alive and, if not, the manner of death.
But she said the situation of a witness who feels mentally unable to continue due to distress is clear and there ought to be an assessment of their fitness to continue.
After a long break, Mr Koletti returned to the witness box and agreed he would endeavour to listen to the questions.
But not long after, Magistrate Ryan halted Mr Koletti's evidence.
"If you're unable to focus on questions and give truthful answers to them, that does not assist me," she said.
"I'm going to ask you to step down from giving evidence, certainly for today."
In an affidavit to the inquest, Mr Koletti described the aftermath of his wife's disappearance, including how he is unable to secure employment.
"People stare at me in the street as if I was a pariah or a criminal," he wrote.
After she went missing, Mr Koletti left a note on his wife's phone, which was left at their house, with a pair of earrings as a gift, the document said.
"Melissa, I no (sic) our love is deeper than pocessions (sic)", the note said.
"Thought you may like one of your Christmas early. All my love."
Mr Koletti said in the statement that, having reviewed the extent of the allegations against Ms Caddick, he was "extremely upset".
"I feel terrible about what has happened to Melissa's family, her friends, their relatives and the investors."
He said he has been described as an "arsehole", "a creep", "a f***wit", "a toyboy" and "a handbag".
He said his father has called him "stupid".
He said he hardly leaves his home and is "extremely distressed" for Ms Caddick's investors, her family and her friends.
"I feel empty."
The inquest, before deputy state coroner Elizabeth Ryan, continues.