The expert phase of Coroner Alexander Ho’s inquest into the 3-year-old’s death continued in Invercargill today.
Lachie’s father, Paul Jones, never believed his son drowned and suspected foul play.
Today some non-expert witnesses are giving evidence about text messages that recently came to light.
In May, Tyler Tremaine received a text from a woman asking if he remembered telling her that Lachie’s half-brother, Jonathan Scott, had dumped him in the pond.
Mr Tremaine replied saying he did recall telling her that but did not want to tell police about it.
Today, Mr Scott gave evidence that he never said he threw Lachie in the pond and would never do such a thing.
"I think it's disgusting because I love my little brother," he said.
He said the woman claiming that he "terrorised" her as a child was an attempt to make him look bad and was not true.
"I was always a nice kid," he said.
Mr Tremaine said he never told the woman that Mr Scott threw Lachie in the pond and claimed he agreed with her to end the conversation.
"What [the woman] has said that I said to her isn't true, I know the screenshots look bad but it’s not the case," the witness said.
"I don't recall having that conversation with [her] in person, and Johnny never told me that."
Mr Tremaine said despite him and Mr Scott being good friends, they only discussed Lachie’s death once.
"Johnny said ‘you've never met my brother ay? Haha you won’t because he's dead’," the witness told police.
Mr Scott did not recall saying this.
Under cross examination from Max Simpkins, counsel for Lachie’s father Paul Jones, Mr Tremaine admitted initially lying to police about the messages.
He initially stated he never spoke to the woman about Mr Scott or Lachie, but when presented with the messages said he did send them.
Mr Tremaine also deleted the messages from his phone before giving it to police, but was up front about that when police queried it.
He could not think of a reason why the woman would make up the allegations, but said she could be problematic.
"I don't want to be involved in this s…," he said.
"I don't take this seriously, it's got nothing to do with me."
He said if he had any relevant information about a three-year-old's death he would not hesitate about telling police.
"I wouldn’t say it’s narking if it's getting down to the truth of what happened to a 3-year-old boy," he said.
There are no more witnesses to be called in the inquest and tomorrow the lawyers will sum up the case.
