Grim discovery reopens inquiry into Newcastle man's death nine years ago

An inquest into the death of Newcastle man Jayden "Jay" Penno-Tompsett will reopen, a Queensland court has confirmed.

The Coroner's Court of Queensland confirmed on Wednesday that it would recommence the inquiry into how the 22-year-old man died.

Mr Penno-Tompsett went missing on New Year's Eve 2017 near Charters Towers while on a road trip from the Hunter to Cairns.

He had left his car and his companion, Lucas Tattersall, on a dirt road.

Human remains discovered in October last year at a rural property in Breddan, near Charters Towers, were this year confirmed to be those of Mr Penno-Tompsett.

That discovery has prompted the court to revisit the case.

"The court is currently awaiting a report from the Queensland Police Service in relation to the circumstances surrounding the location of Mr Penno-Tompsett's remains," the court said in a statement.

"No further information will be provided at this time."

Police have previously alleged Jayden was travelling with more than $10,000 worth of drugs to meet friends at Cairns, and he smoked half on the road trip to Charters Towers and lost the other half.

A 2021 inquest heard police believed Mr Penno-Tompsett perished in the harsh conditions outside Charters Towers, but his mother Rachel Penno has said she believes he was murdered.

The court heard the Bureau of Metereology recorded a top temperature at Charters Towers of 39.1 degrees the day Jayden disappeared and 40.1 degrees the next day.

Ms Penno claimed police had not followed up on several lines of inquiry and it took "10 months" to interview the man who sold Jayden the drugs.

But according to the police, it was an extensive investigation that produced a 170-plus page running sheet detailing their actions.

Detective Sergeant Peter Edwards, who headed the investigation, said Mr Tattersall cooperated with police, drawing a "mud map" of where he said he left Jayden, but he was unable to identify the location.

He said Mr Tattersall's story, that the pair had a fight, Jayden stormed off and has never been seen since, fitted with what the police investigation uncovered and that Jayden had a history of going off alone after arguments.