Jury inspects car in Chamberlain trial

Press, 11 October 1982, Page 9

Jury inspects car in Chamberlain trial

NZPA Darwin The jury in the Chamberlain murder trial has inspected Michael and Lindy Chamberlain's yellow Torana hatchback in a police compound across the road from the Darwin Supreme Court. The court convened at the compound for about 10 minutes while a nurse, Roberta Elston, showed the position of a black camera bag parallel to the driver’s seat, on August 17, 1980, the night the baby disappeared. Mrs Elston told the court that she had been driven

from the Ayers Rock campsite to the'Uluru Motel by Mr Chamberlain. While inspecting the car. three of the nine male jurors sat in the driver’s seat and the black camera bag, which has been tendered in evidence. was pressed hard against the underside of their knees as they placed their feet on the pedals. The camera bag, said to belong to the Chamberlains, had been packed with paper for the demonstration and was almost level with the seat. Mrs Elston, who was a nursing sister at Ayers Rock

when the baby disappeared, and is now living at Thornleigh, Western Australia, told the court that she had asked Mr Chamberlain whether she could hold the camera bag while he was driving to the motel.

She said that she had been sitting in the front passenger seat and noticed the bag, which seemed to be full, when Mr Chamberlain was getting into the car.

Mrs Elston told the court Mr Chamberlain had said it was "OK” because he always kept the bag there so he could take photographs while driving.