The three-year-old's body was found floating in an oxidation pond in Gore. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi
An emotionally charged inquest into the death of Gore preschooler Lachlan Jones has exposed ructions between his separated parents and accusations his body was dumped.
The three-year-old could not be revived after being found in a council sewage pond more than a kilometre from his home in January 2019.
Two police investigations found the toddler accidentally drowned after wandering off, but his father disputed those findings.
During the first two days of the inquest into Lachlan's death, Max Simpkins, the lawyer for the boy's father, had taken an accusatory tone with mother Michelle Officer.
Referring to an expert witness' evidence, Simpkins alleged Officer disposed of Lachlan's body at the sewage pond, which she said was not true and the witness was making it up.
She said she consented to an autopsy of Lachlan's body as she had nothing to hide.
However, Lachlan's father Paul Jones had opposed it and Officer questioned why.
Simpkins asked Officer whether she could control Lachlan, which she said she could, and whether she was back in a relationship with his father - which she said she was not.
She was the first witness to take to the stand and told the inquest her whole world was destroyed the night Lachlan died.
"Lachie was such a bright, wee boy. He was so loving. He was my world. I just loved him so much. I just wish I was with him," Officer said.
He was a fearless young boy who was a good climber and a fast runner, she said.
Her testimony, which was suppressed until her evidence had been given, laid bare the gulf between Lachlan's parents.
Emotional scenes at 3yo's inquest
Officer accused Jones of being verbally and physically abusive and manipulative, saying he assaulted her and there was a protective order in place at one time.
He was motivated by money, had a gambling addiction, and was cruel to her two older sons, Officer said.
Simpkins asked her why she was referred to the 1000 Days Trust, a Southland organisation that provides early intervention to families.
Her maternity nurse knew about the abuse in the home and they were protecting her, Officer said.
Simpkins also pressed her about Lachlan's health, suggesting he had ongoing issues from problematic teeth with green pus on his gums, gooey eyes for four weeks, probable pneumonia due to chronic bronchitis, and he took multiple trips to the doctor.
Officer said she took Lachlan to the doctor or hospital any time she was concerned, Jones was living in the house during some of that time, and they both had a history of childhood asthma.
"Don't say I neglected my child," she said.
Coroner Alexander Ho said he was allowing questions which dated over years as Simpkins indicated he would bring in an expert to cover those areas and it was fair for Officer to have a chance to respond to such questioning.
When asked, Simpkins said his witness was former FBI agent Karen Smith.
Simpkins said Smith believed Officer visited a friend's house on the night Lachlan went missing to create an alibi, which Officer said was not true as her son was with her.
Simpkins said Smith's opinion was Lachlan could not have made it to Grasslands if he was only out of sight for 30 seconds.
Officer responded Lachlan was only out of sight for that time and it was a long time for a quick kid to hide, but she did not claim he made it down the road during that time.
Emotions were raw as Simpkins cross-examined her 111 call, which she told the inquest she made in a panic, initially calling 555 and thinking she would have to wait 24 hours to report Lachlan missing.
She said she believed she could not call the police straight away as Jones had told her she was a nutcase and the police were tired of hearing from her.
"You did not yell out Lachie's name once, what do you say to that?" Simpkins asked.
"I was talking to the police. I was talking to the police. Just because I didn't yell out, I knew people were looking for him," she said.
"I was looking for him."
"You didn't yell out once Lachie's name because you knew he'd already passed. Correct?," Simpkins said.
He repeated the question.
"No, I didn't. I did not at all. I thought we would find him. I thought we'd find him," she said, sobbing.
Simpkins alleged Officer told a friend Lachlan had done her a favour.
"It all makes sense now, doesn't it? Drowning does assist you because you no longer have to deal with your irate boys," Simpkins said.
"That's untrue. There's no way, I'd rather drown myself than have any of my boys drown. That's incorrect. I can't believe you said that. It's terrible. It's really awful to say that to a grieving mother," Officer said.
She gave her version of what happened.
She said she left him watching television when one of her other sons called for help lifting weights, and when she got back she realised he was gone.
She ran outside, finding him and telling him off for running away, but he giggled and ran closer to one of her friend's houses, and he knocked on her door.
She said she lost sight of him briefly while talking to her friend Deborah, leaving to go find him but not seeing him on the street, back at her house, a nearby park or at her friend's house.
During their search, her friend asked two girls if they had seen a little boy. They said they had and pointed in the direction of the river.
More people started joining the search and she called the police.
She read the transcript of the 111 call on the night he went missing, saying it was about 45 minutes since he had gone missing.
"I'm scared he's going to go into the water because he loves water ... I'm at the sewage ponds," she said.
She returned home and rang Jones before more of her friends came around.
"I just remember being absolutely numb, in shock, and I thought they would find him."
Jones is expected to give evidence later in the three-week inquest.