Melissa Caddick: Cop who interviewed Sydney conwoman’s husband Anthony Koletti said he acted strange
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The behavior of Melissa Caddick’s husband was extremely strange and when they were seen crying, they were not “actual tears,” a police officer has told her inquest.
Sergeant Trent Riley was one of the first police officers to interview Anthony Koletti after reporting his missing person on Nov. 13, some 30 hours after he said she had left their Dover Heights mansion.
“I thought it was strange that a man called the police station, reported his wife missing two days later, and was unwilling to come to the police station,” Sergeant Riley said.
“Or didn’t really want the police to go see him (because) he had too much work that day.”
Fraudster Melissa Caddick disappeared in November 2020 after defrauding more than $8 million from clients, friends and family (pictured with Mr. Koletti)
The inquest had previously heard that Koletti impersonated Mrs. Caddick the day after she went missing and even falsely told friends he was at her home.
Koletti texted their cleaner from his wife’s phone to schedule an appointment and lied to her brother Adam Grimley and her boyfriend Scott Little in messages.
The inquest heard that Mr. Koletti told them he was at Caddick’s house, when in fact he hadn’t seen her all day.
He reported Caddick missing to police 28 hours after he said she left the house to go for a walk or run.
She was investigated by ASIC for more than $23 million owed to 74 investors whose money she spent on designer clothes, property, vacations and luxury cars.
On Wednesday, the inquest learned that Sgt Riley’s suspicions prompted him to visit Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs home and his body-worn footage was played in court.
‘You can’t be too careful these days,’ hears Mr. Koletti say as he opens one of the many doors in the multi-million dollar mansion.
Down in the couple’s basement, Mr. Koletti points out that she “hasn’t even taken grog.”
On the top deck with the Harbor Bridge in the background, Sgt Riley said it was a good place for New Year’s Eve.
“I was looking forward to New Year’s Eve, but I don’t know now. It means nothing if you don’t have the love of your life,” Mr Koletti responds.
“Did you go anywhere last night?” asks Sergeant Riley again.
“Not that I know of,” Mr. Koletti says.
Mr Koletti smiles and in a police interview after reporting Caddick missing (pictured)
Sgt Riley repeatedly says he doesn’t believe the part-time hairdresser and DJ is telling him the whole truth.
“Like I said before, I don’t think you’re telling me something,” Sergeant Riley says.
“I told you if there’s anything I’ll tell you…I’ve been working on this for a long time,” Mr. Koletti responds.
Attorney Judy Swan, on behalf of Mr. Koletti, points out to the witness that at the end of the search and interrogation, her client begins to cry.
“I don’t think they were real tears… I’m sure they weren’t real tears,” Sergeant Riley said.
He noted that Mr. Koletti gave two different versions of the last time he saw his wife and that she was “in a good mood.”
The officer was then unaware that the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission had raided the couple’s mansion in Dover Heights on November 11, 2020.
The Dover Heights couple’s mansion being sold to repay investors (pictured)
The breathtaking view from Melissa Caddick’s mansion in Dover Heights (photo)
Koletti told police he wasn’t worried about his wife, that he hadn’t left the house at all, but later said he spent all day looking over the ocean at The Gap.
“(He says) he didn’t think she was missing, but he spent all day checking the cliffs around Rodney Reserve,” said junior counsel assisting Louise Coleman.
“Extremely strange,” Sergeant Riley replied.
Mrs. Coleman also asked him about the text message Mr. Koletti sent to the cleaner from Mrs. Caddick’s phone, pretending to be her.
“I thought that was strange,” he said.
The hairdresser and DJ outside Sydney’s Lidcombe Coroners Court on Tuesday (pictured)
“(He) contacted her closest friends, but didn’t she let them know she was missing?” said Mrs Coleman.
‘He did. Very strange,’ he said.
He was also baffled as to why Mr. Koletti described the clothes his wife wore when she left the house, despite not seeing her leave.
Earlier, Detective Sergeant Michael Kyneur told of an interview he had with the man while he was an officer in charge of the investigation.
Koletti came up with a theory that she was staying at the Meriton in Bondi Junction.
“It was a pretty big place for us in our early years,” he said.
“She could have a big pile of money under the bed for all I know. She’s resourceful.’
The inquest for Deputy Coroner Elizabeth Ryan continues.