Allison Baden-Clay's mother says her son-in-law was 'calm as a cucumber'

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/16/gerard-baden-clay-calm-cucumber

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The mother of Brisbane woman Allison Baden-Clay says her son-in-law was "calm as a cucumber" the morning he reported his wife missing.

Priscilla Dickie told the murder trial of Gerard Baden-Clay how the former real estate agent called her husband Geoff Dickie on the morning of 20 April 2012 to report his wife missing.

Mrs Dickie said the couple "dropped everything" and went to the Baden-Clays’ home in Brookfield in Brisbane's west.

Gerard Baden-Clay was dressed in a pink striped shirt and tie and "calm as a cucumber", she told the supreme court in Brisbane on Monday.

"I looked at him and said, 'What's happened?' He said 'Allison's missing, she went for a walk and didn't come back'."

The court heard that he told Dickie that when he woke up Allison wasn't there and she asked him how he hadn't noticed her get out of bed.

She said the house was "sterile" and Gerard offered her a cup of tea in a cup and saucer, which was "very strange" because they only ever had mugs.

Dickie added she noticed three scratches on the right side of Baden-Clay's face and he explained that he'd cut himself shaving.

Under cross examination by defence barrister Michael Byrne, Dickie agreed her daughter had suffered post-natal depression after her first child and later anxiety at times.

However, she said that was not unusual for a mother with three children under six.

"We all have anxiety at times," she said.

Dickie said that once, in a phone conversation, Allison had told her that Gerard no longer loved her but that she didn't want to leave him because she loved him and she didn't want to leave their daughters.

Dickie also said she once went over to the couple's house and Allison was lying on the couch dressed in white with the dishes piled up on the sink and told her: "I want to be a better person."

At that time Allison also told her she injected vials of liquid in the fridge in her arm to get rid of fat "because she wanted to be what Gerard wanted her to be, that's what she wanted to be," Dickie said.

"And she tried everything she could for that man."

Baden-Clay, 43, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife in April 2012.

A friend told the court the mother-of-three was happy before she died and had arranged to meet her the day she vanished.

Kerry-Anne Walker said she last spoke with her friend in March 2012.

"She was great. In those months before she died she was fantastic," Walker said.

The witness said in 2010 that her friend had confided in her she was having marriage problems and that Gerard had said he did not love her anymore.

The pair exchanged text messages on 19 April 2012, when Walker asked her friend to return some ballgowns she had borrowed.

"Of course! Sorry you had to chase them up. I am in the city all day at the Convention Centre so can drop them off on my way home about 6pm?? Is that OK or do you need them for tomorrow night?? Alx," it read.

Walker said later that evening she replied that would be fine, but received no response.

It was her last communication with Allison.

The trial continues.