Brenden Bennetts’ mother cried in court recalling the moment she found out her son was being questioned for the disappearance of Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall.
Bennetts, 21, has admitted to killing the 16-year-old and dumping her body in August 2015 but denied he intended to cause her death.
Wanda Bennetts told the Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday her son told her he had dropped Jayde off at a train station but lied about it because ‘he was scared’.
Brenden Bennetts has admitted to killing Jayde Kendall (pictured) on August 2015
Jayde Kendall pictured here in an undated photo provided by the Queensland police
Earlier, Bennetts claimed the Gatton schoolgirl asked for help to runaway and made him promise not to talk to police.
The court heard on Thursday Bennetts originally told police he last saw Jayde at McDonalds where she worked the evening before the teenager disappeared.
But when police showed he had been captured on CCTV withdrawing $70 from Jayde’s bank account, Bennetts claimed he had helped her runaway.
‘She proceeded to ask me for a favour to pick her up after school to give her a lift or just be there as a friend,’ Bennetts told police on August 18.
‘She was emotional, crying.
‘I didn’t know she would runaway for a long period of time, I thought she would be back by now to be honest.
Bennetts (pictured in court sketch) has admitted to killing Ms Kendall and dumping her body
Ms Kendall pictured here with Brenden Bennetts (right) in an undated photo before her murder
‘She stopped crying, looking dead in the eye and made me promise to give her as much time as possible before I would talk to you guys (police).’
In a recorded interview played to the jury, Bennetts said Jayde hid in his back seat to avoid the cameras and gave him her pin to take the money out.
Bennetts remains in custody and has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
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