A district court has heard the former mayor of Bathurst asked someone else to post an anonymous message because he did not want "anything to do with" an alleged blackmail letter.
Robert "Bobby" Bourke is on trial in the Orange District Court after pleading not guilty in July 2022 to misconduct in public office and blackmail with intent to influence public duty.
In March 2020 former councillor Jacqui Rudge received an anonymous letter in the mail allegedly threatening to reveal her mental health issues unless she resigned.
Bathurst businessman Darryl Leahey has previously admitted to writing the letter, but the Crown prosecutor is arguing Mr Bourke facilitated its delivery.
On Thursday, a video of Mr Bourke being interviewed by police was tendered to the court in which the former mayor told detectives he asked a volunteer at the op shop he managed to post the letter following instructions from Mr Leahey.
"I said [to Darryl] I don't want anything to do with the letter," Mr Bourke told the officers.
"I didn't read the letter. I don't know what was in the letter."
In the interview, Mr Bourke went on to tell police that he did not know the contents of the letter until it was published in the local paper.
"That bloody Darryl, that's probably that letter. I put two and two together," he said.
Mr Bourke told officers he did not want to get involved in any correspondence between Ms Rudge and Mr Leahey because his own relationship with Ms Rudge had deteriorated while on council together.
"Jacqui hated me. She reckons I put her under a bus," he told police.
"I didn't want any confrontation."
In the recording, Mr Bourke went on to tell police he did not think the letter was threatening and that he had received worse correspondence himself as mayor.
"I get worse things than this," he said in the interview.
"To me, that's nothing."
An interview from a journalist at the local Bathurst paper, The Western Advocate, was also tendered to the court in which Mr Leahey appeared to ask Mr Bourke how he should respond when asked about writing the letter.
"Right. Well, how do I answer it, Bobby? What do you want me to do?," Darryl Leahey said.
"Well, it's a yes or no question, isn't it, Darryl?" the journalist Murray Nichols replied.
"Answers yes and everyone knows but I don't know why they're bangin' on about tryin' to pin the tail on Bobby," Mr Leahey replied.
The defence has argued it must be proven that Mr Bourke knew the contents of the letter and that posting it was linked to his position as mayor.
The Crown has finished its case and Mr Bourke is not expected to be called as a witness.
The trial continues.
