Gordon Wood says he felt 'paranoid' police would pursue him again over death of Caroline Byrne
Updated
Gordon Wood was paranoid police would try to "stitch him up again" after he was acquitted of murdering his former girlfriend Caroline Byrne, the Supreme Court has been told.
It is the first time Mr Wood has given evidence after exercising his right not to go into the witness box during his 2008 murder trial.
He claims the wrongful prosecution has caused him mental health issues and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr Wood has told the court he has been on anti-depressants and felt "paranoid" since he was acquitted in 2012.
"I felt paranoid and unsafe that they would try to stitch me up again," he said.
Mr Wood cried when he was asked about viewing the model's body in the Glebe morgue in 1995.
He was given a moment to compose himself.
The court has previously heard Ms Byrnes' former boyfriend and ex-police officer Andrew Blanchett made up a lie that Mr Wood asked to see the model's breasts at the morgue.
Mr Wood said he did not do that.
He told the court he had had other relationships since her death but they were not serious and Ms Byrne was the love of his life.
When asked if he had moved on from her death, Mr Wood replied: "I think so .. I hope so."
When questioned about his employment as a chauffeur and personal assistant to high-profile stockbroker Rene Rivkin, he replied that he was Mr Rivkin's gopher.
"I handled the gateway to Mr Rivkin," he said.
He said he made Mr Rivkins' appointments and renewed his insurances.
Wood 'unable to secure employment since arrest'
Mr Wood said that in 2001, before he was extradited back to Australia from the UK to stand trial, he set up his own business in France.
Part of his claim against the state of NSW is that he has not been able to work since the legal process against him started.
Asked when he was last employed, Mr Wood replied: "The day before my arrest."
He said he survived mostly on funds from a family trust called 'Jagomi' which was set up by his sister Jacqueline Schmidt, with himself, Jacqueline and another sister as the beneficiaries.
Mr Wood said money from his various defamation suits against the media went into the trust and his sisters also contributed to it.
He also said he had unsuccessfully approached some of his overseas contacts for work.
However, the court heard Mr Woods' doctors have recently told him he is medically unfit to work.
"I would like to be healed from my condition," he said.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, courts-and-trials, murder-and-manslaughter, suicide, sydney-2000, nsw
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