Adrian Bayley initially denied involvement in the death of Jill Meagher. Source: Supplied
ADRIAN Bayley had no idea homicide squad detectives had a mountain of surveillance information linking him to the death of Jill Meagher as he sat in one of their interview rooms about to be questioned on video.
Bayley - the man who unwittingly starred on CCTV as the stranger Ms Meagher had the misfortune to meet on Sydney Rd in Brunswick - would go on to make a confessional recording.
In his record of interview with Sen-Det Paul Rowe, Bayley was read his rights and laughed off any suggestion he had anything to do with the murder.
But Sen-Det Rowe and his homicide squad colleagues from Crew 4 believed otherwise.
They had gathered evidence linking Bayley to Ms Meagher - and they used it to break the killer's facade.
At first, Bayley flatly denied any involvement.
''Man, I don't know anything about it,'' he told Sen-Det Rowe.
''Like you said to me earlier that you have, you know, like CCTV footage and stuff but it might - it could be someone that looks like me, you know what I mean?
''I'm telling you now that I have nothing to do with this.''
To establish Bayley's version of a timeline, Sen-Det Rowe took him back to the night of Friday September 21: the hours leading up to Ms Meagher's death.
''If it helps you reference it, I know you said to me earlier you're a Collingwood supporter ... Collingwood was playing Sydney,'' the detective suggested.
Bayley replied: ''I didn't watch the game, man ... Sydney were up, oh man, by about 18 points or something and it was early in the game and I just didn't take any notice after that, you know.''
Bayley explained how he and his partner were out drinking at a footy tipping work function before he, his partner and a workmate of his kicked on to the Lounge Bar in Swanston St.
''My missus and I, we started blueing,'' Bayley said.
''We do that when we get drunk ... We got a bit verbal, you know.''
Bayley's partner slipped away and went home without him knowing.
He said he went home after not being able to contact her, and changed his clothes and headed back into the city to carry out a desperate search for his partner.
''I just went back into the city man and just drove around looking for (my partner) thinking, you know, I just might bump into her. I was worried about her,'' Bayley said.
''I basically did that till probably, oh I don't know man, like 5.30 sort of in the morning ... It was meant to be a good night ... Um, it didn't end up the way it was meant to.''
In reality, after changing his clothes, Bayley travelled to Sydney Rd where he came across Ms Meagher, who was walking home alone after a night out with ABC work colleagues.
About 1.38am, Bayley dragged Ms Meagher into a laneway off Hope St and raped and strangled her, according to police.
He left the body in the laneway and returned home where he threw a shovel into his white Astra vehicle.
It was about 4.22am when Bayley returned to the laneway, placed Ms Meagher's body in the boot and drove to Blackhill Rd, Gisborne South, where he buried his victim by the side of the road.
Sen-Det Rowe showed Bayley a selection of CCTV images depicting him on Sydney Rd at the time of Ms Meagher's disappearance.
''Man it does look me ... but it's not me,'' Bayley offered.
Jill Meagher was abducted as she walked home from a bar in Brunswick in September last year.
Rowe: ''OK, so again you say you were never in Sydney Rd.''
Bayley: ''Mate, I'm serious ... I'm 99.9 per cent sure that I didn't go near Sydney Rd.''
Sen-Det Rowe followed up with information about the location of Bayley's phone - it was in Brunswick at 1.40am.
''Man, I don't see how that can be,'' Bayley protested.
''I was at home then.''
Rowe: ''Well at 1.56am, so 16 minutes later ... your phone's still in Brunswick.''
Bayley: ''I apologise, but I can't explain that.''
Rowe: ''And, um, at 2.41am your phone is still in Brunswick.''
Bayley: ''I don't get that.''
Rowe continued to tighten the screws.
''At 5am your phone is in Digger's Rest.''
Bayley: ''Where the hell's Digger's Rest?''
By that stage Bayley knew he was in trouble.
It was fast becoming apparent that the blokes from homicide had done their job.
Sen-Det Rowe then explained to Bayley that his phone movements matched Ms Meagher's phone movements on the night she went missing.
''I cannot explain that,'' Bayley said.
Rowe came back with: ''As I said to you, we gather all the information.''
He then told Bayley his car was photographed travelling outbound through Moonee Ponds along CityLink in the early hours of Saturday September 22.
''Phew, no, I can't explain that,'' Bayley repeated.
''I'm in the city ... I was in the city for Christ's sake.''
After nearly three hours of questioning, Sen-Det Rowe suspended the interview.
Upon resuming he told Bayley that detectives had searched his home and found Ms Meagher's broken SIM card.
''Sometimes things happen and they go further than we intend them to,'' Rowe suggested.
''I have no doubt in my mind that you were responsible for the disappearance.''
Bayley: ''No ... no ... I'm not responsible for the disappearing of Gillian Meagher.''
Sen-Det Rowe reminded Bayley of the incriminating evidence against him.
''I want you to help me understand why it happened ... I want you to help me get Gillian Meagher's body back. Only you can help me with that.''
Bayley finally cracked, and would go on to say he raped and then strangled Ms Meagher.
''I f---ed up,'' he said.
''I'm not the same person when I drink ... I don't deal with hurt very well. You know, it wasn't really my intention to hurt (Gillian Meagher), you know that?
''When we conversed, I swear to you man - I spoke to her and she looked distraught ... She flipped me off and that made me angry, because I was actually trying to do a nice thing.
''They should have the death penalty for people like me.''
Bayley began to cry.
''I cannot believe that it went that way. I swear ... I lose everything man. I lose my kids. I lose my family.''
Bayley said he would help detectives locate the buried body.
Rowe: ''Why did you choose that area?''
''I don't know,'' Bayley said.
''I just drove ... I just buried her ... It's been in my head. It's been hell. I can't imagine how she felt, but I know how I felt. It's not nice man, it's not nice.
''And all I thought was what have I done? That's all I thought. That was the thought in my head - what have I done after I said sorry.
''I don't know what else to say, man. I don't know what else to say.''
