A RETIRED farmer has denied any involvement in the disappearance of his wife's former lover more than 30 years ago. Judah Zachariah Reuben Wolfe Mattathyahu was a farmhand at John and Anne Roslyn Hull's remote Tasman Peninsula property when he vanished without a trace in November 1983. Mr Hull told an inquest he did not know about the sexual relationship between his wife and Mr Mattathyahu until decades after it took place. Mr Hull said he and his family had no involvement in Mr Mattathyahu's disappearance, or in any arrangements to have the man murdered. The inquest heard Mr Hull only learned of his wife's affair when cold case detectives went to his house two or three years ago. "Roslyn then came around to me and told me she'd had an affair with Reuben and asked if I wanted her to leave," Mr Hull said. "I said 'no'. Sex doesn't mean a terrible lot to me. "There's more to a marriage than sex, in my opinion," he said. Mr Hull said Mr Mattathyahu had talked about leaving in the weeks before his disappearance, but did not say where he intended to go, or why. "He'd given us the understanding he was coming back," he said. "All we had to do was look after his gear for him." Mr Hull said he kept the man's possessions in three trunks for more than 20 years, until they were seized by police. He was asked why he held on to the belongings. "He could still be alive today, for all I know," Mr Hull said. Among the items were naked photos of his wife, which Mr Hull said he had never seen. "If I had have done, I would've burned the lot," he said. "Everything, shed and all." Mr Hull said the missing man seemed agitated in the lead-up to his disappearance. "He'd always given the impression he was in trouble," he said. "He was worried about the police." The inquest has been adjourned.
A RETIRED farmer has denied any involvement in the disappearance of his wife's former lover more than 30 years ago.
Judah Zachariah Reuben Wolfe Mattathyahu was a farmhand at John and Anne Roslyn Hull's remote Tasman Peninsula property when he vanished without a trace in November 1983.
Mr Hull told an inquest he did not know about the sexual relationship between his wife and Mr Mattathyahu until decades after it took place.
Mr Hull said he and his family had no involvement in Mr Mattathyahu's disappearance, or in any arrangements to have the man murdered.
The inquest heard Mr Hull only learned of his wife's affair when cold case detectives went to his house two or three years ago.
"Roslyn then came around to me and told me she'd had an affair with Reuben and asked if I wanted her to leave," Mr Hull said.
"I said 'no'. Sex doesn't mean a terrible lot to me.
"There's more to a marriage than sex, in my opinion," he said.
Mr Hull said Mr Mattathyahu had talked about leaving in the weeks before his disappearance, but did not say where he intended to go, or why.
"He'd given us the understanding he was coming back," he said.
"All we had to do was look after his gear for him."
Mr Hull said he kept the man's possessions in three trunks for more than 20 years, until they were seized by police.
He was asked why he held on to the belongings.
"He could still be alive today, for all I know," Mr Hull said.
Among the items were naked photos of his wife, which Mr Hull said he had never seen.
"If I had have done, I would've burned the lot," he said.
"Everything, shed and all."
Mr Hull said the missing man seemed agitated in the lead-up to his disappearance.
"He'd always given the impression he was in trouble," he said.
