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SYDNEY - One of the eight men of interest in the cruise ship death of Dianne Brimble was secretly recorded talking about selling their story to the media for A$100,000 ($109,800) each, a Sydney inquest has been told.
NSW Deputy State Coroner Jacqueline Milledge yesterday revoked her ban on the publication of the contents of covertly taped conversations between some of the eight men of interest.
The tapes were played to the inquest into Mrs Brimble's death after the appearance of the eighth and last person of interest, Mark Wilhelm, who exercised his legal right not to give evidence.
However, Mr Wilhelm's version of events has emerged through the phone taps, in which he claimed he was the victim in the case and Mrs Brimble "made all her own decisions".
In a separate conversation, fellow person of interest Ryan Kuchel talked about making money by selling the men's story to the media. "All seven of us should get together, sit down at a conference, tell it as it is and get paid one hundred grand each," he said.
The inquest also heard Petar Pantic suggest the truth could be sold to police for A$1 million.
Another person of interest, Leo Silvestri, stated: "At the end of the day we don't care. The only person who is guilty is Mark."
Mrs Brimble, a 42-year-old Brisbane mother of three, died on board the P&O liner Pacific Sky in September 2002 from a toxic combination of alcohol and the date rape drug Fantasy, after having sex with Mr Wilhelm. Her body was found on the floor of the cabin he shared with three other men of interest in the case.
On one of the secretly recorded tapes, Mr Wilhelm is heard saying it was easier to blame eight guys than "one stupid woman" who tried something after being told about it.
"I am not doubting she was full-on homey girl, but she also had a dark side," he said. "I am not saying she was not a nice woman. On that night I thought she was okay, not attractive but certainly appeared to be a reasonable, decent person."
But if he had not taken Fantasy, "there is no way I would have gone within 12 feet of her".
More secret tapes will be played today.
- AAP
