While the corporate watchdog and federal police turned Melissa Caddick’s mansion upside down searching for evidence of her multimillion-dollar fraud, she took an afternoon nap.
Earlier that morning, Ms Caddick was seen on AFP body-worn camera footage explaining her rows of earrings, bracelets, cufflinks, and necklaces from luxury brands including Dior and Stefano Canturi, seized from her safe.
Two bejewelled necklaces sporting dark sapphires and diamonds cost between $80,000 and $100,000, Ms Caddick confirms on camera, viewed on Friday in the NSW Coroners Court.
The camera pans across envelopes containing $US4,800, and others with Hong Kong dollars and UK pounds.
Australian Federal Police Constable Amelia Griffen executed the search warrant on Ms Caddick’s Dover Heights mansion on November 11, 2020.
Ms Caddick answered the door shortly after 6.07am, when she was presented with search warrants to the property and her safety deposit box.
Const Griffen spent the majority of the 12-hour raid with Ms Caddick, who on occasion fetched herself food and drinks from the kitchen and ventured out into the backyard “on multiple occasions”.
At one stage in the afternoon Ms Caddick lay down for a nap on her bed, Const Griffen confirmed.
Ms Caddick’s parents and husband largely blame the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for her subsequent disappearance and suspected death.
Barbara Grimely said her daughter was not offered food or drink and was highly distressed during the duration of the search warrant, Jason Downing SC counsel assisting the coroner said in his opening address.
Const Griffen said she spent “long periods” on the couch with Ms Caddick and her husband Anthony Koletti.
“Did you observe anything in her behaviour … (that) …caused you to hold concerns for her welfare?” asked Louise Coleman, junior counsel assisting the coroner.
“I’d only attended two search warrants previously, however it was normal – surprised, shocked, embarrassed by (the) police presence,” Const Griffen said.
Mr Koletti was also shocked but throughout the day became “more comfortable … became chatty”, providing reassurance and support for his wife, she said.
Early on, she heard Mr Koletti saying words to the affect of “it’s fine, it’ll be fine” and by the end of the day “he was always asking Melissa how she was”, she said.
“I observed their relationship (and) that he was caring towards Ms Caddick.”
Two days later, Mr Koletti called Const Griffen and said his wife was missing and she was planning on meeting with a lawyer and may be camped out in a hotel.
“(I) told him he should contact the police as soon as possible and contact friends and family to see if (Ms Caddick) had contacted them,” Ms Griffen said.
Solictor Judy Swan, on behalf of Mr Koletti, said it was important during the raid Ms Caddick understood she was not under arrest, and asked Const Griffen if she explained this.
“At no point did I tell her she was under arrest,” Const Griffen said.
Earlier on Friday, Detective Sergeant Michael Foscholo told the inquest Apple data had raised questions as to whether someone was trying to externally access her account.
They were also “following up on a potential pin data point at Sydney airport” on November 13, at 12.45am found on her Uber account.
It is not yet known what NSW police officers found after investigating this data point.
The last verified sighting of Ms Caddick was the raid on her house.
The next morning she was reportedly heard leaving in the early hours to go for a run. Mr Koletti informed police she was missing about 30 hours later.
Her Ponzi scheme victims, mostly family and friends, lost $20 million to $30 million she used to fund her lavish lifestyle.
Following Friday’s hearing, the two-week inquest will break before Mr Koletti is due to give evidence on September 26. However, the current list of witnesses is running overtime.
© AAP 2022
