First published: November 30, 2011
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A WITNESS to the abduction of Bronwynne Richardson in Smollett Street, Albury, made several attempts to pass on information to police but was effectively ignored.
Wodonga man Wayne Leitch, who was driving east looking for his girlfriend, had stopped to listen to a race on his car radio.
He saw a car come quickly around the Olive Street corner into Smollett Street and pull up parallel to the kerb at a slight angle near St Patrick's school.
Mr Leitch said he thought there were about five people in the car with a conversation between a girl and a front-seat passenger who got out.
"I saw this young lady standing at the kerb with a handbag over her shoulder," he said.
The girl was then bundled into the back seat with Mr Leitch saying: "They pulled her into the car."
"Her foot was still out of the car. The back door was not closed properly."
When Mr Leitch became aware of what had happened to Ms Richardson, he spoke to his father who advised him against going to the police.
His father took the issue up with an Albury officer who had indicated Mr Leitch's help was not needed.
"He was a drinking friend of my father," Mr Leitch said.
But Mr Leitch still approached police and told them what he had seen.
His approaches to police continued and Mr Leitch said he made formal contact 10 to 15 times.
Later, he made contact with CrimeStoppers and was told police did not need to know what had happened in Smollett Street.
They were concerned about what happened after that.
Solicitor Mark Cronin was told by Mr Leitch that he tried 12 months after Ms Richardson's murder to report again what he had seen, but police were not interested.
Mr Cronin described that as "a pretty inappropriate response".
It was suggested by Mr Cronin that Mr Leitch was concerned police were looking for the wrong sort of car and he agreed.
Mr Leitch said the girl was straddling the back-seat passengers after being dragged into the car.
He described the driver as having a crewcut and believed he may have had a moustache.
Mr Leitch made statements to police in 2009 about what he had seen.
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