Lachie Jones inquest: Johnathan Scott denies killing brother and throwing toddler into a pond in Gore, New Zealand

The half-brother of a toddler whose body was found in a sewage pool denies throwing him in.

Lachie Jones disappeared on the evening of January 29, 2019 from his mother’s home in Gore, on the southernmost tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

Lachie’s body was found in a municipal oxidation pond after a two-hour search by a police dog handler.

An investigation was launched into his death, despite the fact that two separate police investigations revealed that Lachie drowned in the pond after running away from his mother’s house, which was nearby.

Lachie’s second-eldest brother, Johnathan Scott, 21, led the inquest at the Invercargill District Court in May, denying allegations that he had kept Lachie’s body in a freezer until he had figured out what to do with it before dumping it in a sewage pond.

On Wednesday, the allegations were again put to Scott during cross-examination by Mr Jones’ lawyer regarding claims about an alleged conversation and social media messages sent to a friend, Stuff reported.

Scott appeared via audio-visual link and insisted he had not disposed of Lachie’s body.

“No, absolutely not,” he replied to a question from police attorney Robin Bates.

Lachie Jones (pictured with his parents) passed away on January 29, 2019.

The court also heard from a woman who accused her former boyfriend Tyler Tremaine of telling her that Scott had told him he would kill Lachie.

The woman, whose name has been withheld, told the court in detail what Tremaine allegedly told her about how Scott allegedly killed Lachie.

He said that he [Scott] “He grabbed him, picked him up and beat him up,” the woman told the investigation.

“He was doing the directions with his hands and everything. It made me sick.”

The woman said she texted Tremaine after hearing about Lachie’s death on the news.

The text messages were handed over to the court.

The second phase of the investigation into the tragic death of Lachie Jones continues

Remember how you said Johnny? [Johnathan] Scott said that he [allegedly] that boy threw in the pond? Bro it’s all over the f***ing news,’ she wrote.

Tremaine replied, “Yeah, that’s what I said haha.”

The woman sent Tremaine another text message urging him to report the alleged incident to the police, but Tremaine reportedly indicated that he wanted nothing to do with it.

Tremaine, who also testified at the hearing, denied sending the text messages.

He told the police attorney that he had only said that he did not want to talk to the woman about the alleged incident.

Tremaine said the only conversation he had with Scott was after Lachie’s death, when Scott allegedly said he couldn’t have met Lachie because he was dead.

The toddler disappeared from his mother’s home in Gore (pictured) on the southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island on the evening of January 29, 2019.

When asked if it was possible that Tremaine had made up the text messages, the woman became upset and questioned the validity of the suggestion.

She added that the evidence was black and white.

“If you think about it, it’s two pieces of evidence in one, because he’s confirming what he said verbally, and he’s confirming it again through text,” she said.

The woman was angry when Lachie’s mother’s lawyer asked her if it was possible Tremaine had made up his comments.

Why would you make it up? [something] about someone’s pee [little] “Brother drowning? That’s sick,” the woman replied.

Scott denied ever having a conversation with Tremaine about the alleged incident and never “joked” about it.

Lachie’s (center in photo), Paul Jones (left in photo), father claims his son is believed to have been murdered and an investigation has been launched into his son’s death.

He told the inquiry that his family had been slandered by the many accusations about what happened.

“I think it’s disgusting because I love my brother,” Scott said.

The second phase of the investigation, which will be completed on August 21, continues.