By Riley Walter and Daniel Lo Surdo
Warning: This story contains the image and name of a deceased Indigenous person
Despite a lengthy history of violent offending and breaching restraining orders, the man who allegedly murdered Central Coast teenager Audrey Griffin had been spared jail and placed on a supervision order months before police say he killed the 19-year-old.
After Adrian Noel Torrens was found dead inside his jail cell on Thursday afternoon, the Herald can reveal he had been spared a prison sentence months before he allegedly murdered Griffin.
Audrey Griffin was celebrating with friends before her alleged murder.
NSW Chief Magistrate Judge Michael Allen in January placed Torrens on an 18-month community corrections order for domestic violence offending despite his having breached a similar order in 2020 and subsequently serving a prison sentence for a range of violent offences that included assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking or intimidating intending fear or physical harm, affray, and breaching a domestic apprehended violence order.
The 53-year-old was being held at the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre when authorities found him unresponsive at 4.50pm. Police said Torrens could not be revived “despite the efforts of corrective services personnel and ambulance paramedics”.
An investigation into Torrens’ death is under way. Police are not treating it as suspicious. Police said the Griffin family had been informed of his death.
Adrian Noel Torrens had been spared jail for violent offending months before he allegedly murdered Audrey Griffin.
Despite Torrens’ previous breach, Allen imposed the supervision order after Torrens pleaded guilty to one count each of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and contravening a domestic apprehended violence order in October last year. Torrens was granted bail after entering that guilty plea during his first court appearance on those charges on October 10.
Griffin’s mother, Kathleen Kirby, said the decision to spare Torrens a custodial sentence was “just wrong”.
“The system is just appalling,” she told the Herald.
“He’s gone and [allegedly] murdered someone when he should be behind bars.”
Under his bail conditions, Torrens was required to report to North Sydney police station once daily and he was ordered not to contact his former partner or to consume alcohol or non-prescribed drugs. A fortnight later, his bail conditions were varied, reducing his mandatory reporting to police to weekly.
The supervision order was the third in six years imposed on Torrens, who in 2021 was placed on a 12-month community corrections order for refusing or failing to submit to a breath test.
Torrens allegedly murdered Griffin near Erina Creek after following her from a night out with her friends in Gosford just over two months after he had avoided another prison term.
Detectives also charged Torrens, who was arrested in Surry Hills around midday on Monday and charged with Griffin’s murder, with 11 domestic violence-related offences, including allegedly breaching a domestic apprehended violence order 10 times while his community corrections order was in place.
Audrey Griffin (right) was allegedly murdered after a night out with friends in Gosford. Her mother, Kathleen Kirby (left), says she was let down by the justice system.
Torrens’ death occurred on the same afternoon that more than 1000 people dressed in white gathered on Terrigal Beach to mourn Griffin, a talented teen athlete and a University of Technology Sydney student.
Griffin was reported missing one hour after she had farewelled friends at the Hotel Gosford about 2am on March 23, and had walked along The Entrance Road to hail a taxi after unsuccessfully attempting to book an Uber.
Police allege Torrens and Griffin, not known to each other, had a physical altercation while Griffin was attempting to hail a ride. The teenager tried to fight Torrens off, scratching him in the process and lodging some of his DNA under her fingernails.
They were to allege that Torrens had struck the left side of Griffin’s face and knocked her unconscious, causing her to drown in the creek, or that he had held her underwater. Police will also say she had scratches on her upper arms and a mark to the left side of her face that could have been caused by blunt force.
Griffin’s body was found face-down and partially submerged in the creek around 3.45pm on March 24, 36 hours after friends had reported her missing. Police initially treated Griffin’s death as non-suspicious until investigators received information on Friday that led them to treat it as a murder.
Kirby said her daughter, who was to join the navy in April, was an “innocent, well-balanced, beautiful woman” let down by the justice system.
“The whole system is just so wrong,” she said.
Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong acknowledged “this very difficult time for the family and loved ones of Audrey Griffin, and note this case will now not be able to be prosecuted through the courts”.
If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, beyondblue on 1800 512 348, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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