Baby Kobi’s father talked about taking his daughter to Whispering Wall before he jumped

An inquest into the deaths of Baby Kobi and her father has heard phone calls in which he can be heard talking about wanting to take his daughter to the Whispering Wall.

The man who killed himself and baby Kobi at the Whispering Wall in 2021 told his baby’s mother that he wanted to take his daughter to the popular tourist attraction two months before he jumped to his death with the infant.

A coroner’s inquest into the circumstances of Henry Shepherdson, who died alongside nine-month-old Kobi on April 21, 2021, resumed on Friday.

During the hearing, the court heard recorded phone conversations between Shepherdson, 38, and Kobi’s mother, while Shepherdson was in custody.

In a phone call on February 20, 2021, Kobi’s mother told Shepherdson that she was going for a drive to the Barossa Valley.

“Has she (Kobi) seen the Whispering Wall? I want to go there with Kobi,” Shepherdson responded.

Kobi Shepherdson, who was aged nine months when she died. Picture: SA Police

In a subsequent call, Shepherdson asked Kobi’s mother if his daughter got home safe after having gone for a drive. He also talked about his “right” to call Kobi’s mother and make sure his daughter was okay.

Shepherson drove Kobi to the Whispering Wall reservoir, near Williamstown, on April 21, 2021.

At 4.30pm, he threw himself and Kobi off the 36m-high dam as witnesses watched in shock.

Both he and Kobi died a the scene.

During another phone call played in court on Friday, Shepherson could be heard instructing Kobi’s mother.

“I can’t believe I’m telling you this again,” he said.

“You go to the Port Adelaide court and tell them you need the prosecutor of the case to call you so that you can let them know that you don’t want to pursue.”

Shepherson told Kobi’s mother to tell the prosecutor “you don’t want to go to court, you’re done with the matter, you want me to come home so we can talk it through”.

He also told her “I can’t keep telling you what to do”.

“I just want to see my daughter again,” he said.

In another call, Shepherdson told Kobi’s mother they “need to be really, really careful hey, because this is getting really serious”.

Kobi Shepherdson. Picture SA Police

“The last thing we want is for me, you know, coercing a witness, it can get very dangerous,” he said.

At other times during calls to Kobi’s mother, Shepherdson could be heard saying he couldn’t be seen crying in jail, and at one point he says “I can’t believe this is happening to me”.

In one call, Kobi’s mother could be heard telling Shepherson she felt intimidated by the court process.

Shepherdson told her that it would only get worse if the matter went to trial and “it’s going to drive a bigger wedge between us”.

Mr Shepherdson could also be heard during calls repeatedly asking Kobi’s mother if she was feeling pressured by him.

“If you’re feeling pressured, then you need to tell me that,” he said.

“I’m just trying to get our family back together but if that’s making you feel pressured I’ll back off.”

In a call on March 4, 2021, Shepherdson told Kobi’s mother is was important for Kobi’s development to have her father in her life.

“That’s important to me,” he said.

The following day, on March 4, Shepherdson made his last call to Kobi’s mother from custody.

“I’m a free man - The charges are gone,” he said.

The inquest started on Tuesday and heard Shepherson had a history of domestic violence.

The court was told police first became involved in October 2020 after Shepherdson’s abuse of Kobi’s mother worsened.

He was arrested on December 16, 202 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 contact with Kobi and her mother.

While in custody, Shepherdson made 149 calls to Kobi’s mother. None of these calls were known to police or the court at the time.

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

The no-contact order continued at Kobi’s mother’s request however she eventually contacted police to have that withdrawn as well.

The court was told the order was downgraded on April 21, 2021, at consent of prosecution, to permit Shepherdson to have contact with his daughter and her mother.

That same day Shepherson arranged to spend time with Kobi before taking her to the Whispering Wall, where members of the public saw him jump from the popular tourist attraction with Kobi in a baby carrier.

On Thursday, the inquest heard chilling recorded phone calls in which Shepherdson could be heard saying he could never harm a child and all he wanted to do was keep his daughter safe.

Several of the 149 prison phone calls Shepherdson made to Kobi’s mother were played to the court on the day.

The calls were made after Shepherdson used deceptive methods to contact Kobi’s mother from custody, despite a non-contact order being in place.

SA Police Detective Brevet Sergeant Paul Dawson told the court Shepherdson coerced, pressured and “completely manipulated” Kobi’s mother into dropping the domestic violence charges against him.

The inquest will continue next week.