The young son of an accused murderer has told Western Australia's Supreme Court he and his two siblings were taken on a trip to "a forest" at night by their mother and grandfather, who he saw with a shovel and flashlights.
The boy's pre-recorded evidence was played to the court at the trial of his mother, Stacey Wright, who is alleged to have bludgeoned 37-year-old Kym Taylor to death in October 2018.
Her body was found in bushland in Bedfordale about a month later.
Ms Wright's father, William, is also on trial accused of helping his daughter to try to cover up the crime.
It is alleged after spending the day driving around the metropolitan area with her father and Ms Taylor, Ms Wright used a tow ball to strike Ms Taylor over the head, "shattering" her skull.
Prosecutors allege Ms Wright and her father then left the scene, before returning hours later with her three young children, who they left in the car while they buried Ms Taylor's body.
Son says headlights turned off because 'police might drive past'
In an interview with police in December 2018, which was played to the court, Ms Wright's then nine-year-old son said he was picked up by his mother — along with his older brother and younger sister — from where the children were being looked after.
He was asked to tell the officers about the time he went to the forest, saying he remembered seeing his mother with torches and a shovel.
He said at one point she turned the lights off "because of cars going around" and because "police might drive past".
He told the officers he fell asleep but was later woken up by his brother, who he said was about to cry because he thought they were lost.
The boy said his brother asked where their mother and grandfather were, but he said they then saw them coming back to the car.
When asked what he thought his mother and grandfather did in the forest, he replied, "I don't know, because they were far away from us."
"They said they went marroning, but I don't think they actually did."
Boy provides further evidence a year later
About a year later, in November 2019, the boy gave recorded evidence before a Supreme Court judge which was also played to the court today.
He was then aged 10, and while being questioned by defence lawyers, he was asked why he thought he was in a forest.
"All I saw was trees around me and a road. I don't know if it was a forest because it was dark," he said.
The boy said it was a cold night and his mother had said to bring some pillows and rugs to keep warm.
He said he saw two torches and his grandfather also had a shovel.
When the pair returned to the car, the boy recalled, "All they said was that they went marroning."
He also testified that his mother said she had turned off the headlights because of the police.
Both Ms Wright and her father deny any involvement in Ms Taylor's death.
Evidence 'vague in the extreme': lawyer
In an opening address to the jury earlier this week, Ms Wright's lawyer, Tom Percy QC, said his client maintained the last time she saw Ms Taylor was when she was dropped in the vicinity of Stock Road, south of Perth, and, "She was alive and well."
Mr Percy also described Ms Wright's son's evidence as "uncertain" and "vague in the extreme", saying he may have been referring to another occasion when his father took him marroning.
Mr Wright's lawyer, Jim Sutherland, said his client also denied doing anything to help his daughter try to cover up the alleged murder because she was not involved in it.
"There's just a lack of material that would establish criminal responsibility on Stacey Wright and, as a result of that, criminal responsibility on William Wright," he said.
