Coroner Alexander Ho’s inquest into the 2019 death of the 3-year-old continued in Invercargill yesterday where two of the toddler’s neighbours and his half-brother were questioned.
Max Simpkins, counsel for Lachie’s father Paul Jones, alleged that phone calls made to Cameron Scott on the night of Lachie’s death were to create a false record of where he was.
Mr Scott’s mother, Michelle Officer, had called her son to ask for help ordering a pizza online and later to ask what number to dial for the police.
Mr Simpkins said those were simple things that Ms Officer did not truly need to ask her son about.
"How dare you make something up like that," Mr Scott replied.
Mr Simpkins has asked both of the toddler’s half-brothers if they knew he was dead earlier in the night and tried to cover it up.
"That is a disgusting accusation Max," Mr Scott replied.
Both brothers said they were not concerned when they first heard Lachie was missing because he would often run away and Ms Officer was overprotective of him at times.
Mr Scott said his little brother was adventurous and he believed he would be capable of climbing the gates near the oxidation ponds where his body was found.
"He was an awesome climber, if he had a ladder he could climb up on the roof if he really wanted to," Mr Scott said.
He said his mother was very watchful, treated her children equally and took great care of Lachie.
However, he described Paul Jones as a drunk and a gambler who was abusive to the family at times.
Mr Scott began his evidence by making weighty, off-topic allegations against Mr Jones, which led to a hurried court adjournment.
Earlier in the day, Deborah Thurston, a neighbour and friend of Ms Officer, gave evidence that she heard Lachie at her house the night he went missing.
She helped look for the boy and was with his mother when police told her he had died.
Mr Simpkins pointed out inconsistencies between Ms Thurston’s evidence at the hearing and her initial police statements.
The witness said at the time she did not understand how important her statements would ultimately become.
Another neighbour Maxine Cartwright said she saw a "little person" running on the footpath, but initially was not sure which of her young neighbours it was.
She also helped search for Lachie and admitted other peoples’ accounts about what he was wearing on the night he died may have influenced her police statement.
