WA: Man wouldn't recall crash in alleged extort bid, court told

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2001
WA: Man wouldn't recall crash in alleged extort bid, court told

A Perth court has been told a man involved in a car crash with ROBERT HUGHES promised
to tell a court he could not recall anything about the accident in return for money or
a car from the art critic.

Perth Magistrates Court was told DARREN WILLIAM KELLY tried to make a deal through
private investigator RODNEY STEPHEN BRIDGE to extort money from HUGHES.

In return, KELLY would give evidence favourable to HUGHES in the trial over a head-on
collision on May 28, 1999, in northern Western Australia which left HUGHES in a coma with
multiple fractures.

BRIDGE and KELLY, the driver of the other car, are facing a preliminary hearing, charged
with conspiracy and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The court was played audio tapes of a meeting on April 18 last year between BRIDGE
and another private investigator.

In the tapes BRIDGE told the second investigator he was pretty sure if KELLY's car
got paid for he wouldn't remember much.

The hearing continues.

AAP RTV ajm/sd/jn

KEYWORD: HUGHES (PERTH)

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