Lisa Govan’s family left frustrated as former Club Deroes employees shed little light on the inquest

The mother of a woman who disappeared in regional Western Australia 25 years ago said it was frustrating to see former motorcyclists shed little light during the investigation into her suspected death.

Lisa Govan was last seen outside Club Deroes’ headquarters in Kalgoorlie in the state’s Goldfields on the morning of October 8, 1999.

The 28-year-old had been partying the night before and went to the motorcycle clubhouse to continue drinking with several others.

She was last seen at around 7.30am walking back to the property with motorcyclist Andrew Edhouse and employee Trefor Atkinson, where the two men lived.

Her body was never found, despite a $1 million police reward.

Mr Edhouse was arrested once and Mr Atkinson three times, but the pair were never charged.

The six-day inquest into Ms Govan’s suspected death will not hear from Mr Edhouse as police were unable to find him.

Mr Atkinson appeared on Wednesday.

The words “I don’t remember” or “I don’t remember” were common during the first three days of the hearing.

Coroner Michael Jenkin told the court it was common practice for members or associates not to speak to authorities.

Mother’s horror

Ms Govan’s mother Pat said she was frustrated by the lack of response from some witnesses.

“I was disgusted.”

The inquest heard CCTV footage showing Mr Atkinson attempting or actually punching Ms Govan in the neck outside the Safari Night Club at around 4.30am on October 8.

“I’m not proud. I could very well have hit her and for that I apologize,” Mr Atkinson said.

The court heard that the hostility had not continued because Ms Govan and Mr Atkinson shared a taxi back to the clubhouse.

He was questioned about the allegation that later that morning he had seen Mr Edhouse stamp on the head of an unconscious woman lying in the Club Deroes headquarters.

“Did you see Andrew Edhouse kick or stomp Lisa?” asked counsel assisting coroner Sue Markham.

“No,” said Mr Atkinson.

“Did she leave the clubhouse alive?” said Mr. Markham.

“I suppose so,” he said.

Witness ‘untrue’, according to the court

Mr Atkinson told the court the first time he heard of the incident, which he described as ‘horrific’, was in the media on Monday.

WA Police lawyer Gemma Mullins told the court the details were read to him during two police interviews in 2017 and 2018.

“It’s the kind of story that sticks in your head because it’s quite graphic,” Ms Mullins told the court.

“You are entitled to that opinion,” Atkinson said.

Code of silence

Mr Atkinson told the inquest that he and Mr Edhouse had never spoken about Ms Govan’s disappearance in the 25 years since she was last seen, despite being arrested in 1999 and living together.

The comment was met with laughter from some in the court, with coroner Jenkin saying he found the response difficult to believe.

“If you’re a patched member or an employee of the Club Deroes, the rule is you don’t talk to the police, you don’t talk to anyone,” coroner Jenkin told Mr Atkinson.

“It’s a good idea not to do that, yes,” Mr Atkinson replied.

The inquest also heard from trader Kevin Smith, who was not an employee but was close friends with many Club Deroes members, including one of the bosses at the time.

His former employee Ross Edwards told the court that Mr Smith witnessed Mr Edhouse jump on the woman’s head as he stood at the front door of the clubhouse on October 8 and told them to get their story straight.

Mr Smith told the inquest on Wednesday that this was “absolutely untrue”.

Details of the incident came after the court heard the clubhouse was not searched by police until six days after Ms Govan went missing.

Police discovered that arcade machines had been moved, part of the floor had been repainted and some of the carpet had been removed.

Partner linked to rival group

Two women at the Deroes clubhouse told the inquest that evening that Ms Govan’s then partner, Tim Hammel, had links to rival motorcycle group the Gypsy Jokers.

“At the time it was kind of an unspoken rule that if you are the girlfriend of another club member, you don’t go to the opposition clubhouse, especially not alone,” Cecily Evelyn Richards told the court.

Ms Richards and another woman, Rana-Tui Torbett, said they heard Ms Govan tell her that if her partner knew she was in the clubhouse he would ‘kill’ her.

“He kind of had friends in the other gang, the Jokers, so it was probably not a good place to be seen,” Ms Torbett told the inquest.

The court heard that Mr Hammel was on night duty on October 7 and rode around the city on his motorcycle to find her after his shift ended.

The police could not find Mr. Hammel to serve him a summons for the hearing.

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