Melissa Caddick: Cop who interviewed Sydney conwoman’s husband Anthony Koletti said he acted strange

The behaviour of Melissa Caddick’s husband was extremely strange and when seen crying they weren’t ‘real tears’, a policeman has told her inquest.

Sergeant Trent Riley was one of the first police officers to interview Anthony Koletti following his missing person’s report on November 13, some 30 hours after he says she left their Dover Heights mansion.

‘I thought it was strange a husband would ring the police station, report his wife missing two days later and wasn’t prepared to come to the police station,’ Sgt Riley said.

‘Or didn’t really want police to go around and see him (because) he had too much work on that day.’

The inquest previously heard Mr Koletti impersonated Ms Caddick the day after she went missing and even falsely told friends he was with her at home.

Mr Koletti wrote a text message to their cleaner from his wife’s phone cancelling an appointment and lied to her brother Adam Grimley and her friend Scott Little in messages. 

The inquest heard Mr Koletti told them he was at home with Caddick when in fact, he hadn’t seen her all day.

He reported Caddick missing to police 28 hours after he said she left the house to go for a walk or a run.

She was being investigated by ASIC over $23million she owed to 74 investors whose money she splurged on designer clothes, property, holidays and luxury cars.

On Wednesday, the inquest heard Sgt Riley’s suspicions prompted him to visit the Sydney eastern suburbs home and his body-worn footage was played before the court.

‘You can’t be too careful these days,’ Mr Koletti is heard saying as he unlocks one of the many doors in the multi-million dollar home.

Down in the couple’s cellar Mr Koletti points out she ‘hasn’t even taken any grog’.

On the upstairs deck with the Harbour Bridge in the background Sgt Riley mentioned it was a good spot for New Year’s Eve.

‘I was looking forward to New Year’s Eve, but I don’t know now. It doesn’t mean anything when you don’t have the love of your life,’ Mr Koletti responds.

‘Did you go anywhere last night?’ Sgt Riley asks again.

‘Not that I know of,’ Mr Koletti says.

Mr Koletti laughs and in a police interview after he reported Caddick missing (pictured) 

Sgt Riley repeatedly says he doesn’t believe the part-time hairdresser and DJ is telling him the whole truth.

‘Like I said before I think there’s something you’re not telling me,’ Sgt Riley says.

‘I told you if something comes up I will tell you … I’ve been on this for a long time now,’ Mr Koletti responds.

Solicitor Judy Swan, on behalf of Mr Koletti, points out to the witness that at the end of the search and interview her client starts to cry.

‘They weren’t real tears in my opinion … I’m very confident they weren’t real tears,’ Sgt Riley said.

He noted Mr Koletti gave two different versions of the last time he had seen his wife and that she was ‘in good spirits’.

The officer was then unaware that the Australian Federal Police and Australian Securities and Investments Commission had raided the couple’s Dover Heights mansion on November 11, 2020.

The couple’s Dover Heights mansion which is being sold to repay investors (pictured) 

The stunning view from Melissa Caddick’s Dover Heights mansion (pictured) 

Mr Koletti told police he wasn’t worried about his wife, hadn’t left home at all but later said he had spent the day scoping above the ocean near The Gap.

‘(He says) he didn’t think she was missing but he was checking the cliffs around Rodney Reserve all day,’ junior counsel assisting Louise Coleman said.

‘Extremely strange,’ Sgt Riley responded.

Ms Coleman also asked him about the text message Mr Koletti sent to the cleaner from Ms Caddick’s phone pretending to be her.

‘I did think that was strange,’ he said.

The hairdresser and DJ outside the Lidcombe Coroners Court in Sydney on Tuesday (pictured) 

‘(He) contacted her closest friends but hadn’t let them know she was missing?’ Ms Coleman said.

‘He did. Very strange,’ he said.

He was also bewildered why Mr Koletti described the clothes his wife was wearing when she left the house, despite not seeing her leave.

Earlier Detective Sergeant Michael Kyneur recounted an interview he had with the husband while he was officer in charge of the investigation.

Mr Koletti offered up a theory she was staying at the Meriton in Bondi Junction.

‘It was quite a big spot for us in our early years,’ he said.

‘She could have a fat wad of cash stashed under the bed for all I know. She’s resourceful.’

The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan continues.