William Tyrrell’s former foster parents face Sydney court
A Sydney court has heard secret recordings in which William Tyrrell’s former foster father appears to berate another child. The man is in court fighting charges of assault and intimidation. The child is not missing toddler William Tyrrell who disappeared from a home on the New South Wales mid north coast nine years ago.
Transcript
00:00 William Tyrrell's former foster father and his wife appeared at Parramatta local court
00:05 today for the second day of a week-long hearing.
00:08 In 2021, the couple were charged with assault and intimidation of a child in Sydney's North
00:13 Shore.
00:14 The child is not William Tyrrell.
00:16 Yesterday, the 56-year-old man pleaded not guilty to one count each of assault and intimidation,
00:22 while the woman pleaded guilty to two counts of assault but denied two counts of stalking
00:27 or intimidation.
00:28 The prosecutor today told the court the couple's home and cars were bugged for about a year
00:33 as part of the investigation into William Tyrrell's disappearance.
00:37 But it's alleged what those recordings picked up were offences of assault and intimidation
00:42 related to a different child.
00:44 In one recording, the man is heard swearing as he appears to berate the child, who is
00:48 heard crying.
00:50 In another recording played in court, the woman is heard telling the sobbing child not
00:54 to talk and repeatedly says, "You have no voice."
00:57 The prosecutor, John Marsh, said the purpose of playing the recordings was to ensure the
01:01 court could hear the tone, volume and manner in which the words were spoken.
01:06 The hearing is expected to end on Friday.
01:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]