A junior officer was told "don't save that anywhere" by a senior detective who allegedly directed him to illegally record a phone call during the investigation into William Tyrrell's disappearance, a Sydney court has heard.
Former Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin, who quit the force in 2019, is contesting accusations he broke the law in 2017 and 2018 when taping four conversations with Kendall man Paul Savage.
The first tape - unlike the others - was not recorded by Mr Jubelin.
Rather, a court has heard it was taped by a junior officer under Mr Jubelin's direction.
Detective Senior Constable Greg Gallyot said Mr Jubelin called him into a room at NSW Police's Parramatta headquarters in November 2018 and told him to record a call Mr Jubelin was about to make to Mr Savage.
Mr Savage, now 75, lived across the road from William Tyrrell when the three-year-old went missing from the mid-north coast town in September 2014.
"I knew there wasn't (a current warrant)," Det Snr Const Gallyot told Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
"We were all well aware of the dates of warrants and when we didn't have them anymore."
Det Snr Const Gallyot said he was "shocked" when asked to record the call.
"He said 'Just do it'."
The junior detective was asked what Mr Jubelin said after the five-and-a-half-minute call was over.
"He said 'don't save that anywhere'," Det Snr Const Gallyot told the court.
Mr Jubelin pleaded not guilty to four charges under the surveillance devices act.
No one, including Mr Savage, has ever been charged over William's disappearance.
The hearing continues before magistrate Ross Hudson.
