A woman missing from an outback town in WA since October 8, 1999 was seen that morning on the back of Harley Davidson being ridden by a bikie gang member later killed by a sniper, an inquest into her death has been told.
Lisa Govan, 28, vanished after being observed walking into the headquarters of outlaw motorcycle gang Club Deroes in Kalgoorlie around 7.30am that morning.
Her body has never been found.
On Friday, Club Deroes associate Raymond Fisher told an inquest into her death he was “positive” he saw Ms Govan on the back of Billy Grierson’s motorbike on the morning she disappeared.
Mr Grierson, a member of rival bikie gang the Gypsy Jokers, was shot dead in 2000 by a sniper outside the Ora Banda pub, north-west of Kalgoorlie, allegedly on the orders of publican and former senior Perth detective Don Hancock, who was himself later killed by a car bomb.
The crime scene the morning after bikie Billy Grierson was killed at Ora Banda. (ABC News)
Mr Fisher said he was never a patched member of the Club Deroes, but an associate who was asked to join.
At the time, Mr Fisher was an employee of John Hope — a former Club Deroes member who is suspected to have loaned his Land Cruiser ute to the clubhouse on October 8 to dispose of Ms Govan’s body
Raymond Fisher, a former Club Deroes associate, claims to have seen Ms Govan on the back of Billy Grierson’s Harley Davidson. (ABC News: Brianna Melville)
Mr Fisher said Mr Hope had told him to clean the ute after it had been borrowed by club members on the morning of Ms Govan’s disappearance, telling the court “I just did a quick spray”.
Witness inquiries ongoing
Mr Fisher is the last scheduled witness at the inquest, after police were unable to track down two other witnesses considered central to the hearing.
Club Deroes member Andrew Edhouse was seen walking with Ms Govan into the clubhouse at the time she went missing, with a witness alleging Mr Edhouse had stomped on Ms Govan’s head once inside.
Lisa Govan was last seen outside the clubhouse of bikie group Club Deroes in Kalgoorlie on the morning of October 8, 1999. An inquest is now examining her suspected murder. (Supplied: Family)
Mr Edhouse was not able to be located, although another witness testified he had rung him earlier this week to discuss the inquest.
Police were also unable to serve a witness summons to Ms Govan’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance, Timothy Hammel.
Coroner Michael Jenkin told the court “witness enquiries” were ongoing, before adjourning the inquest.
Outside court on Friday, Ms Govan’s mother Pat said she was pleased the inquest has been adjourned and hoped it would give police more time to find the central witnesses.
Lisa Govan’s mother, Pat Govan, said she was pleased the inquest had been adjourned. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
“It gives them plenty of time to sort things out and get things together so I’m happy with that,” she said
“They’re the two main ones [Edhouse and Hammel ]… I just want to get it all over with and get it sorted out.”
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