The lawyer representing a man on trial for murdering his wife 40 years ago has told a jury the police investigation was potentially "inadequate", and that experts have never been contacted to verify several critical facts.
Roxlyn Bowie was last seen alive on June 5, 1982, at her Walgett home. Her body has never been found.
Her husband, John Bowie, is facing a murder charge but presiding judge Justice Dina Yehia has told the jury they may also consider a manslaughter verdict.
Defence barrister Winston Terracini gave his closing address after the trial heard from more than 60 prosecution witnesses over four weeks.
'Inadequate' police investigation
Mr Terracini told the jury the prosecution was relying on witnesses' memories of events in 1982, not experts.
He said authorities were not asked to verify what public transport was available in Walgett at the time; no Bureau of Meteorology flood records were accessed, and no experts confirmed if pigs eat bones.
The prosecution claims Mr Bowie possibly disposed of his wife's body at a local piggery he had been involved with; with several witnesses claiming the accused told them "pigs don't leave evidence, not even bones".
"It's not good enough to come along with people doing the best they can with their memory from the 1980s to tell you what trains ran," Mr Terracini told the court.
"Police have a tendency in this case to ignore what could be called the bleeding obvious.
"There was an incident at the golf course. Who would you ask? Do they go to the president, secretary, greenkeeper or anyone associated with the golf course? No, never."
He had pointed out there was no evidence of a struggle; no blood reported in the home, car or on clothing, no disturbed furniture and "not a mark" on Mr Bowie.
He said attempts to get the accused to confess by people wearing wires were unsuccessful and the accused never said anything incriminating.
Concerns about witness memories
Mr Terracini was critical of the credibility of many prosecution witnesses, describing "an enormous number of witnesses who couldn't even remember what was in their police statements."
He said none of Ms Bowie's closest family or friends were asked to identify if a ring found during a 2019 excavation at a Walgett property belonged to her.
The prosecution alleges Mr Bowie buried his wife's ring at a nearby property after he killed her.
He said the single testimony claiming the ring was one she wore "all the time" was "befuddled and inherently unreliable."
Mr Terracini said police had a "tendency not to show the ring to anyone" and speculated it may have been "because they'd be fearful they'd get answers from others that this ring might not have been something actually worn by Roxlyn."
He also pointed out "oodles of witnesses have sadly passed way, some have dementia" so while their statements were read onto the record, their accounts could not be scrutinised.
Searching the home
Prosecutor Alex Morris earlier told the court how a neighbour, Ruth Ovens, searched the Bowie's home with the accused that night and found a letter written by Ms Bowie in a "glaringly obvious" position.
Mr Morris said this was "nothing but a staged performance" Mr Bowie designed so an independent person would find the note.
But Mr Terracini pointed out Ms Ovens' said in her statement that she had suggested she go into the home, "not the other way around".
Justice Yehia will resume summing up the case and giving directions on Monday before the jury retires to deliberate its verdict.
