The William Tyrrell inquest has been told a child's scream was heard in a nearby town the day after the three-year-old disappeared.

Anna Baker told the court she had wandered into her strawberry patch on the afternoon of September 13, 2014 when she heard the noise.

"Are you quite confident it was a child you heard screaming?" Counsel Assisting the inquest Gerard Craddock asked.

"One hundred per cent" she replied.

"It didn't go for very long, it sounded like maybe he's hurt."

Ms Baker lived at Heron's Creek, not far from the Kendall home of William's foster grandmother.

The property was also close to the caravan which person of interest Frank Abbott lived in at the time.

Ms Baker said she knew of the convicted sex offender.

"I didn't like him, he was a creepy man," she said.

Abbott is representing himself at the inquest and was allowed to ask Ms Baker's friend questions, but the exchange became heated.

"You know you weren't liked in Johns River - all the kids were warned to stay away from you," Janice Tissisiz told Abbott.

Geoff Owen had been asked to work on the balcony of the home where William was last seen.

Owen told the court he couldn't remember if he had contact with Abbott the day of the disappearance.

"See I have contracted Parkinson's Disease and my memory I shot to pieces," he said.

Gary Jubelin was among those in court for the resumption of the inquest.

The former lead detective was taken off the case after illegally recording elderly neighbour Paul Savage.

William Tyrrell's foster family formally requested he be called to give evidence before the hearing concluded.

That request was rejected by the Coroner who said Jubelin had passed on relevant information.

"I accept he approached the invite with energy and a deep-held wish to find William," the Coroner said.

"Calling Mr Jubelin at this point could be a significant distraction and give me no further assistance," she added.

The officer in charge of the investigation now, Detective Chief Inspector David Laidlaw, is expected to give evidence tomorrow.

Source: 9News https://www.9news.com.au/national/william-tyrrell-disappearance-inquest-told-childs-scream-heard-herons-creek-crime-news-nsw/22d1ae3f-6ec8-46fd-9f42-f108046645a2