By police reporter Jessica Kidd
The twin brothers charged over the murder of New South Wales schoolteacher Stephanie Scott discussed selling her engagement ring during a recorded prison telephone conversation, police interview tapes have shown.
Vincent Stanford had been charged with the sexual assault and stabbing murder of Ms Scott when he spoke to his brother, Marcus, over the phone from Sydney’s Silverwater prison.
During the recorded conversation, Vincent can be heard asking his twin brother what he did with Ms Scott’s two rings, including her engagement ring, and her driver’s licence.
“So what did you do with the stuff that I sent you?” Vincent asked his brother.
“Exactly what you told me to do,” Marcus replied.
“Did you get a fair bit for it?” Vincent asked.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Marcus said.
“That’s good,” Vincent replied.
In his videotaped police interview, Marcus Stanford said he received an envelope from his brother on April 9, just a day before police found Ms Scott’s body in the Cocoparra National Park.
Mr Stanford told police he kept the envelope in his room and only opened it about a week after his brother’s arrest.
Footage: police video/ABC News.
Inside was Ms Scott’s engagement ring, a ring her mother gave her, and her driver’s licence.
“Did you know whose those rings were?” police asked.
“I didn’t know for sure but assumed they were the victim’s,” Mr Stanford replied.
Marcus Stanford complied out of ‘misplaced loyalty’
Marcus Stanford told police he felt confused and angry about receiving Ms Scott’s belongings.
But when his brother asked him to sell the rings, Marcus Stanford said he complied out of “misplaced loyalty” and sold them for $705 to Adelaide Exchange Jewellery.
He discussed the money with his brother during the same recorded telephone conversation.
“What did you do with the money?” Vincent asked.
“Oh you know, paid for the plane ticket for the trip and all that,” Marcus answered.
“Oh that’s good. Mum get a fair bit of money of course from my bank account money and the … what you call it, bond?” Vincent replied.
Marcus Stanford told investigators he used the money to buy a plane ticket so he could visit his brother at Silverwater Prison on May 20.
He also admitted taking digital photographs of Ms Scott’s driver’s licence two days later before burning it.
Marcus Stanford was charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder and has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.
With time already served, he will be eligible for release on September 9.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
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