Suspects in the murders of two Sydney nurses often used to bash and abduct women in the main street of Toowoomba, the southern Queensland city where they lived, a court has been told.
The second inquest into the murders of Lorraine Wilson, 20, and Wendy Evans, 18, has been told key suspects Allan John "Shorty" Laurie and Wayne "Boogie" Hilton and their associates were never challenged by police over their behaviour.
Former friend Darryl Sutton told the Toowoomba Magistrates Court Hilton and his friends used to grab women in the street at night by their hair, "throw them around" and punch them.
"They would try to run, but no one, including police, ever intervened," he said.
"Who was going to stand up to those boys in those days?"
Wayne Hilton's uncle Trevor Hilton told the inquest he often saw Shorty Laurie, his brother Allan Neil Laurie and Wayne Hilton, accompanied by up to three carloads of men driving down the main street of Toowoomba, putting "young sheilas" into their cars or the boots of vehicles.
"I said, you're going to end up in jail one day, and they said, 'If you open your mouth you'll be there,'" Mr Hilton said.
Out of the blue, on one occasion in 1974, Wayne Hilton had told him in tears, "I never meant to hurt those girls."
Mr Sutton asked Shorty Laurie, who was present, what was wrong and he replied: "Don't take any notice of him."
Mr Sutton said the formerly violent Hilton became quiet after that conversation and never seemed the same again.
Earlier, the inquest heard from a witness who believes he saw Wendy Evans arguing with Lorraine Wilson about whether or not to get into a car with two men on the day they disappeared.
Anthony Dougherty, a public servant at the time, told the inquest he came upon two women arguing at Oxley near Brisbane on October 6, 1974.
He said the taller woman who resembled Lorraine Wilson was urging her friend to go with two men in a green and white EH Holden.
When the other girl refused, her friend said, "Well I'm going to whether you come or not."
The girl who resembled Wendy Evans then "reluctantly picked up her bag and hopped in".
The inquest continues.
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