Cleo Smith: Inside look at duplex shared by alleged abductor Terence Kelly

Shannon HamptonThe West Australian
Camera IconPolice have been guarding the scene since they were led to Terence Kelly’s Tonkin Street home, which is believed to have had a room filled with a collection of dolls (left), on Wednesday last week. Credit: Supplied

This is inside the house that has an identical layout to the one where Cleo Smith was found.

It is the other side of the State Housing Commission duplex that Terence Kelly was living in when he is alleged to have abducted the four-year-old last month.

The home is a mirror-image of Mr Kelly’s.

Camera IconThis is the home next door to alleged abductor Terence Darrell Kelly. Both houses share the same roof. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

On a corner on Tonkin Crescent in the Carnarvon suburb of Brockman, after walking through the front door, you walk into a square loungeroom.

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There is then a small kitchen, with a door that leads to the backyard.

Turn left and there is a hallway — which has a bedroom at either end.

Next to one of the bedrooms is a bathroom — which has a shower but no bath.

A toilet comes off the laundry, which also has a door to the backyard.

Camera IconThis is the home next door to alleged abductor Terence Darrell Kelly. Both houses share the same roof. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

A tall fence separates Mr Kelly’s home with this one — too tall to see over without assistance of a ladder or chair.

The shared walls are away from the bedrooms. It is still unclear which room Cleo was in when she was found locked inside, playing with toys.

While the home has a communal wall with Mr Kelly’s home, the neighbour maintains that he did not hear or see Cleo in the 18 days that she was missing.

Camera IconThis is the home next door to alleged abductor Terence Darrell Kelly. Both houses share the same roof. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

However, he did say he noticed some unusual behaviour from Mr Kelly, who he described as a “good neighbour” in the period Cleo was missing.

He said he had friends looking after his home at the time who called him after news broke last week about Cleo’s rescue.

“When they saw the house on the news, they called me and said ‘what’s going on?’,” he said.

Camera IconThis is the home next door to alleged abductor Terence Darrell Kelly. Both houses share the same roof. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

“They said no wonder his dogs were barking all night long every night that week.

“I hardly hear the dogs bark.”

The neighbour also said he had seen Mr Kelly outside in the early hours of the morning. One morning before dawn, he said he went to say hello to Mr Kelly as he put out his bins but he avoided him.

The neighbour has now moved out amid fears “angry” locals will destroy the home — possibly burning it down — once forensics finish their work and police give up their round-the-clock guard.

Camera IconFloorplan of a home with an almost identical layout to the one where Cleo Smith was found. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Police have been guarding the scene since they were led to Terence Kelly’s Tonkin Street home, which is believed to have had a room filled with a collection of dolls, on Wednesday last week.

Despite the forensic police packing up Thursday — and the crime scene tape being torn down — police are still keeping watch.

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