Baby Kobi inquest: SA Police Assistant Commissioner of Crime John Venditto speaks of two key issues in murder-suicide

A top SA cop has told an inquest the key issues behind baby Kobi’s chilling murder and how SAPOL needs to address them.

A top cop has told an inquest children also need to have a voice in domestic violence situations so our most vulnerable can be protected.

On Monday, SA Police Assistant Commissioner of Crime, John Venditto told the court he considered there to be two key issues in Kobi Shepherdson’s murder, including how her father was allowed access to her with no psychological assessment.

In a case that horrified the nation, Henry Shepherdson drove his nine-month-old daughter to Whispering Wall reservoir on April 21, 2021.

At 4.30pm, Shepherdson threw himself and his baby off the 36m-high dam as witnesses watched in shock. Both died at the scene.

Opening the inquest last week, counsel assisting Martin Kirby told the court police first became involved in October 2020 after Shepherdson’s abuse of Kobi’s mother continued to worsen.

The court was told Shepherdson was arrested on December 16, 2020, for alleged offences against Kobi and her mother, including false imprisonment and threats to kill.

He was remanded in custody and a court order was served on him, preventing him from any contact with Kobi and her mother

The court heard inaccuracies in the risk assessment of Kobi's mother led her to be incorrectly classified as “medium risk” instead of “high risk” of violence by Shepherdson.

Kobi Shepherdson was nine months old when she was killed by her father in April 2021. Picture: SA Police

Kobi Shepherdson’s father was granted access to her despite his history of violence. Picture: SA Police

While Shepherdson was in custody he called Kobi’s mother 149 times – none of which were known to police or the court.

In February 2021, Kobi’s mother signed a form to have the charges dropped against Shepherdson and he was released in March.

The court was told the order was downgraded on April 21, 2021 to allow Shepherdson to have contact with Kobi and her mother.

That same day, Shepherdson arranged to spend time with Kobi before taking her to Whispering Wall. Kobi was attached to Shepherdson, 38, in a baby carrier when members of the public saw him jump from the popular tourist attraction near Williamstown in the Barossa Valley.

Members of the public tried to save baby Kobi, and emergency services found them working on her when they arrived. Shepherdson was found deceased.

The Whispering Wall. Picture: Mike Burton

On Monday, Mr Venditto said SAPOL needed to consider how they can influence victims to confide in them when there are breaches of a non-contact order, including letting them know they won’t get in trouble for doing so.

“Particularly a victim that’s called upon us, relied upon us and that we have delivered her safety,” he said.

Mr Venditto said the second issue of great concern was the lifting of the non-contact order to allow Shepherdson access to Kobi.

“In domestic violence situations where there’s a vulnerable person, by that I mean a very young person we should examine how and why an offender moves from a no contact order to some contact order without any psychological or psychiatric assessment,” he said.

Mr Venditto said one in 12 homicides on average involve children under 15, with the majority of those babies under one.

“There is no consideration for that baby,” he said.

Mr Venditto said changes in non-contact orders should only be undertaken when the voice of a child is heard through an independent examination or representative.

The court previously heard Shepherdson used deceptive methods to contact Kobi’s mother – sometimes over a dozen times a day – to coerce, pressure and “completely manipulate” her into dropping the charges against him.

In one call played to the court, Shepherdson could be heard “coaching” Kobi’s mother on what to say to prosecution to have the charges dropped and to not tell them they had been in contact or he would get into “big trouble”.

The inquest continues.