Amber Haigh was 'caring, loving' to baby she had with alleged killer, trial rulings say

CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to alleged sexual abuse.

Rulings on evidence sought to be used for the trial into the disappearance of a teenage mother reveal some of the alleged comments she made about the married couple accused of murdering her, as well as how she was “caring and loving with her baby”.

Nineteen-year-old Amber Haigh, who had epilepsy and an intellectual disability, had a young baby when she went missing in June 2002 after living in the area around Young in NSW, including at the home of Robert Samuel Geeves and Anne Margaret Geeves.

The Geeveses faced a NSW Supreme Court trial this year, in which prosecutors alleged that as Ms Geeves couldn’t have any more children, Amber was used as a surrogate to have a baby fathered by Mr Geeves. Then, after she gave birth, she was killed.

The Geeveses, who pleaded not guilty, were acquitted of murder earlier this month, and there are no findings against them.

During the judge-alone trial, Justice Julia Lonergan made several rulings to exclude some evidence, which were revealed in decisions published this week.

In January 2002, a woman gave birth around the same time as Amber at the Young District Hospital, after which they began talking.

Amber allegedly told her, “They used to put on pornographic movies and that was how the baby was seeved”.

“I remember this conversation and it sticks out so well in my memory because the terminology she used to refer to being ‘conceived’,” the woman said.

Justice Lonergan excluded this, partly as it was unclear who “they” were in the alleged comment.

Amber’s great-aunt Stella Nealon, who lived close to the Geeveses’ home in Kingsvale, gave a statement to police after she went missing in 2002.

“I know they want the baby for themselves,” Ms Nealon claimed.

Justice Lonergan said the basis for her assertion was unstated.

Amber’s now-deceased aunt, Patricia Haigh, also spoke to police in 2002.

“Amber told me that Robert Geeves and his wife had told her that they wanted the baby. She told me that during her pregnancy they threatened to take the baby from her,” Patricia claimed.

“I had asked her if she was scared of Robert Geeves. She would tell me that she was. I asked her if she was having sex with Robert Geeves. She told me that she was. I would ask where his wife was. She would tell me that his wife would be out the front in the car.”

Patricia also claimed Amber said Mr Geeves sexually abused her “on many occasions”.

“Amber told me about one incident about being tied up to a bed. She said that she was raped and videotaped while tied up,” Patricia alleged.

“She told me that it was Robert who raped her. Amber told me that the wife of Robert Geeves videotaped the incident.”

Amber’s now-deceased grandmother, Judith Khan, talked to police in May 2003, telling them that several times when Amber had called her, she had to hang up because Mr Geeves was outside.

“I have to. He gets angry. I’ll ring you back,” Amber allegedly told her.

Justice Lonergan did not admit these claims by Patricia or Ms Khan into the trial, saying they were second-hand hearsay.

In July 2002, Ms Nealon’s partner Ray Harding told police, “I remember several times Amber has called Stella and me and told us that she was frightened of both Robert and Anne Geeves”.

This, too, was excluded. The judge also excluded several statements made during the 2011 inquest into Amber’s disappearance for various reasons, such as it created a danger of unfair prejudice, was second-hand hearsay, or as the Geeveses hadn’t been able to challenge it.

For instance, Ms Nealon told the inquest that at one stage, she asked Amber about Ms Geeves.

“She’s treating me like cruel. She’s not very good to me,” she claimed Amber said.

Amber’s third cousin, Paul Harding, was asked what she said about Mr Geeves.

“[She said] she was scared of him and she, they wouldn’t let her out of the house and all that sort of stuff,” he claimed.

Paul also claimed Amber said Mr Geeves used a video camera to film them having sex, then he “and Anne used to watch the video when they were finished”.

Amber had lived in flats in Young for a time. Her neighbour told the inquest she had claimed, “Robert Geeves tied her up and had sex with her”, and, “he had video cameras in the house”.

While all these statements were excluded, Justice Lonergan did allow evidence about Amber’s first pregnancy into the trial.

Amber was living with Ms Nealon when she became pregnant to Paul in late 1997. Her family was worried the baby might have congenital abnormalities and she had an abortion in Canberra.

But prior to the termination, she told staff at the Young Community Health Centre she felt confused about whether or not to keep the pregnancy.

Justice Lonergan said there was evidence Amber wanted to continue the pregnancy “to have something to love”.

“She wanted to be a mother,” the judge said.

Records show that Ms Geeves went with Amber to a consultation about the pregnancy at the centre in February 1998.

Prosecutors argued Amber would never have willingly left the baby she had with Mr Geeves, and there was evidence the baby was “wanted and much-loved” by her.

“Post-natal records show that although Amber’s level of knowledge of infant development was not sophisticated, she was managing and was caring and loving with her baby,” Justice Lonergan said.

At the end of the trial, the Geeveses’ defence lawyers claimed everything their clients had done had been viewed through a “haze of mistrust and suspicion”.

The pair, now aged 64, were released from custody after they were found not guilty.

If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.