Zac Barnes' mother opens up about the disturbing series of events before her tradie son vanished forever

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A missing teenager who vanished without a trace, never to be seen or heard from again, was found by his mother sobbing in his bedroom refusing to say why he was so upset. 

'I've seen stuff, I've seen stuff, I can't get it out of my head,' Zac Barnes told his mum, months before the 18-year-old apprentice tradie from the NSW Hunter Region went missing. 

Zac's baffling disappearance remains a mystery almost seven years after the Metford teen with a VB beer tattoo was last seen by two friends getting out of their car and heading into bushland at Thornton near Maitland in November 2016.

A coroner's inquest held in Sydney this week heard confronting details about the apprentice bricklayer's drug use, alcohol consumption and troubling behaviour in the months and days before he disappeared.

That included missing his older Cody's 21st birthday celebrations a fortnight prior and an altercation with a colleague two days before Zac disappeared.

Zac (top left with his younger siblings Mia, Makayla and Liam) was last seen leaving a friend's car and running into bushland near Thornton train station on November 13, 2016

Zac's mother Karen Gudelj, stepfather Michael and family heard harrowing evidence at the inquest into Zac's disappearance

Among the witnesses who gave evidence were Zac's best mate, his then-boss and several friends who saw him on the weekend he vanished. 

Zac's mother Karen Gudelj also detailed how her son's life unravelled from the age of 15 after the talented student changed schools in year 10 and became the 'popular, social kid.'

She also warned other parents of how her son's life 'turned very quickly' in the year before he went missing.

Zac's family were told at the start of the inquest by deputy state coroner Carmel Forbes they would get the opportunity 'to bring the individual to life' after all the evidence was heard.

After three long days, Ms Gudelj bravely took to the stand on Wednesday where she went into great detail about his life story along with a photo slideshow showing Zac's close bond with the family.

Fighting back tears, she broke down his life into three stages to show that 'he was so much more than his last days' - and in the hope her details may assist in cracking open the almost seven-year-old mystery.

'Us against the world': Zac's early childhood 

Zac Erin Barnes was born on May 22, 1998 on NSW Central Coast to his parents Karen and Ben, who were childhood sweethearts.

He had two older brothers Jarrad and Cody along with a younger brother Liam, born two years later.

In Zac's early life, Karen packed her belongings, took her boys and left their father who was battling drug addiction at the time. 

'We meant everything to each other, it was us against the world,' she recalled. 

'Zac was my little boy. He was extra clingy, was always clinging to my leg and could be a real pain in the butt.'

While a temper tantrum could last for hours, Zac was also a bright and bubbly little boy.

Karen thought it was important to give her boys a home and moved away to a small country town to buy a home.

She would take the boys to the beach every weekend.

She also instilled the importance of good manners and taught her sons to be good young men, taking them out to dinner at the local bowling club as an introduction to eating out.

Zac (pictured as a baby with brothers Cody and Jarrad) was described a bubbly and loving boy

Karen Gudelj described her third son Zac (pictured as a boy) as her little protector

'He was always making sure his mum was safe,' Karen (pictured with a young Zac) said

Meeting Zac's new dad - until age 15

Karen met and began dating Michael Gudelj when Zac was seven.

As his mum's 'little protector', Zac was initially hesitant and cautious of Michael.

The first 'family' date of a movie and McDonald's was a memorable one.

'Zac was out to test Michael and pushed every boundary possible,' his mum recalled.

'I didn't think we'd see Michael again. But Michael did come back.'

'Zac wanted to see Michael lived. He took one look and said 'Like the place mate, what do you do for work?

'He was always making sure his mum was safe.'

Michael gave the Karen and her boys the stability they needed and soon developed a close relationship with Zac, who regarded him as a father.

'Wherever Michael went, Zac followed,' counsel assist Tim Hammond SC told the inquest in his opening address.

Karen left it up to her boys as to whether they wanted a relationship with their biological dad. Zac chose not to have anything to do with him.

Within three years, the family had expanded with the arrival of Makayla and Mia.

'He was a great big brother,' his mum recalled.

'He would change their nappies and read them stories at 10-year-old.

'When he was 12, he asked to go to go to a school disco and I said no. He thought and came back (asking) 'why can't I go if I'm good enough to babysit'?' 

Zac also loved playing sport growing up. 'He always wanted to be the best,' his mum recalled.

'He was such a loving boy. All the photos you see today - that was him.' 

The three day inquest ended with a statement from the family that included a photo slideshow

The inquest heard how Zac Barnes would change his sisters' nappies and would read them stories to them

Zac's late teenage years - the downward spiral 

The inquest heard how Zac was an exceptional mathematician with dreams of becoming a doctor. 

But things began to unravel after he turned 15.

'In year 10, he changed schools, his grades slipped and he found a social life,' Ms Gudelj recalled.

'If I can just say to any family out there, Zac's life turned very quickly and I think a lot of it is because he wanted to be that popular, social kid.'

He wanted to quit school to join the workforce and considered joining the armed forces once he turned 17.

He decided to follow in his brother Cody's footsteps and become a bricklayer, arranging his own work experience and lining up an apprenticeship so he could leave school.

The inquest heard in the opening address that Zac enjoyed partying and attending pubs, clubs and music festivals.

It later heard details of recreational drug use.

Zac (pictured as a teen) was an exceptional mathematician with dreams of becoming a doctor

Zac (right) adored his two little sisters when they joined the family

Karen Gudelj (left) is desperate for answers about what happened to her son Zac (right)

Ms Gudelj gave evidence about her son's troubling behaviour in the months before he vanished and had noticed he was drinking more.

He still lived at home where his mum enforced strict rules and boundaries. That included charging Zac for board.

With two little sisters, drugs in the home were a big no-no.

His mum recalled a March 2016 argument the pair had over her charging Zac for board.

She found a distraught Zac sobbing in his bedroom, refusing to say why he was so upset.

'I've seen stuff, I've seen stuff, I can't get it out of my head,' he told his mother.

Ms Gudelj told the inquest: 'He felt that if he told me he would get us into some sort of trouble.'

Zac was still a larger than life character to family and friends, despite his life unravelling,

'Zac was well known as a gregarious young man who lived life to the fullest,' Mr Hammond said in his opening address.

'He was boisterous but caring.

'He wasn't the type of person to be out of contact with his family for long periods of time.'

2016 was a big year of milestones for the family.

'Zac had turned 18, Cody (an older brother) just turned 21 and I was about to have my 50th,' Ms Gudelj said while fighting back tears.

'Zac and I were going to have our first legal drink together. But it didn't happen.'

Zac's life was broken down into three stages to show that 'he was so much more than his last days'. He's pictured at a family celebration

Zac Barnes wanted to quit school and considered joining the armed forces

The inquest earlier heard that Zac missed Cody's 21st birthday party in Newcastle a fortnight before he went missing after attending a pub crawl earlier in the day. He later told friends and family that he had 'passed out.'

Zac's best mate revealed the pair faced a number of personal issues in the months leading up to his disappearance and gradually stopped hanging out as often.

'We both shared some struggles at the time,' Thomas Aubrey told the court. 

'We had stopping hanging out as I was working, so we weren't seeing (each other) as much at the time.'

Zac was last seen by two friends getting out of their car heading into bushland in a panicked and distressed state near Thornton train station shortly before 8pm on the night of Sunday November 13, 2016.

He was reported missing to police by his mother and stepfather the next day. 

Zac didn't have his phone or wallet and hasn't been seen or heard from since. His phone and social media accounts remain inactive since that time.

Extensive police and family searches have also failed to find any trace.

Zac Barnes vanished without a trace in November 2016. This is the one of the last photos taken of the teen taken three weeks prior 

The family suffered another devastating blow four years later when Zac's younger brother Liam, 19, took his own life in 2020.

The family vowed to continue fighting for answers.

'Zac respected everybody and he deserves to be respected. If Zac has lost his life, we deserve to be able to bury him and remember him,' Ms Gudelj told the inquest.

'We pray that we get answers we need'.

The coroner will hand down her findings at a later date.

If you or anyone who know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.

Zac had a close relationship with his stepfather Michael Gudelj (pictured with wife Karen)