Byrne was depressed before death: Wood
October 13, 2008 - 12:54PM

Six years after the death of his model girlfriend, Gordon Wood wept as he
told police Caroline Byrne took her own life.

Wood, 45, is standing trial in the NSW Supreme Court for the murder of Ms
Byrne, who was found on rocks at the foot of The Gap, at Watsons Bay in
Sydney's east, in June 1995.

Wood fled Australia after Ms Byrne's death, and a 2001 interview with police
in Kensington, London, was played to the jury on Monday.

Unemployed and a resident of Chelsea Village, a tearful Wood told detectives
Ms Byrne was "the love of my life".

"It was a very magical and special relationship with a very special woman
and I was a very lucky man for three years," Wood said.

"I haven't had another relationship since she died.

"I hope I can one day and I still miss her."

Wood insisted Ms Byrne had taken her own life and that she had a "congenital
predisposition" to suicide.

Ms Byrne had twice previously tried to kill herself and her mother had
committed suicide some years earlier, he said.

In the days before her death, Wood said Ms Byrne was diagnosed with
depression and referred to a psychiatrist.

She "didn't look at all herself" the last night he saw her, he said.

Wood claimed Ms Byrne's family were also convinced she had taken her own
life. It was her father, Tony, who declared as they searched for her the
night of her death that "it was too late, she's gone".

"I probably just accepted the feeling at Watsons Bay from the police and
others of 'oh, another jumper'," Wood said.

He told police he could not think of a single person who would want to hurt
Ms Byrne.

"Why would someone kill her?" he asked.

Wood said there was "never a cross word" between them.

The trial is continuing.

In earlier evidence on Monday, a close friend of Caroline Byrne's ex-lover
was accused of fabricating evidence about the man accused of her murder.

Former police officer Steven Duval told the jury that in the months before
Ms Byrne's death he had spoken to her at City Gym where she trained and
worked as a fitness instructor.

The model and deportment teacher was riding an exercise bike and Mr Duval
said they had begun talking about a suspicious fire at business premises
belonging to high-profile stockbroker Rene Rivkin.

Wood, who worked as a chauffeur for Mr Rivkin, had interjected from a nearby
treadmill, he said.

"He, from my recollection, asked Caroline to stop talking," Mr Duval told
the court.

A heated discussion ensued, he said.

"Wood became very annoyed ... and commenced raising his voice towards me,"
he said.

As they were arguing, Ms Byrne walked away, Mr Duval said.

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Winston Terracini SC, Mr Duval
agreed that Monday was the first time he had claimed that Wood had tried to
silence Ms Byrne.

Mr Duval was close friends with Ms Byrne's high school sweetheart, Andrew
Blanchette, and Mr Terracini accused him of trying to protect "your mate".

"You have made it up, haven't you?" Mr Terracini asked.

"I beg your pardon!" retorted Mr Duval.

Mr Terracini continued, "You made it up to try and colour your evidence.

He also accused Mr Duval of giving biased evidence about Wood's strength, to
support the crown case that he threw Ms Byrne off The Gap.

"Your intention is to try and exaggerate the accused's strength, and
weakness of the deceased, because of things that the police have told you,"
he said.

Mr Duval replied, "I say, that is incorrect."

He also denied trying to minimise Mr Blanchette's strength in his evidence.