DPP requests ‘further evidentiary material’ from NT Police over Coles death in custody case in Alice
‘Further evidentiary material’ is required from NT Police in the Kumanjayi White case before a key decision can be made, the DPP says – leaving the family ‘frustrated’ and ‘confused’. Read the latest.
The grandfather of a disabled man who died after being restrained in an Alice Springs supermarket says he’s “frustrated” and “confused,” as the DPP reveal they require “further evidentiary material” before a key decision can be made in a death in custody investigation.
A DPP spokesman said the “further” material is required from police in the case of Kumanjayi White, a young disabled man from Yuendumu who died in May this year.
“Upon receipt of that material the DPP will further assess whether any charges should be laid,” the spokesman said.
Mr White’s death is being investigated as a death in custody after he was allegedly restrained by two plainclothes police officers inside Alice Springs Coles on May 27.
One witness, speaking with this masthead in the wake of the death, alleged an officer had his “knee behind” the young man’s head, while Mr White’s friends called out “this fella has a disability, he’s disabled, just be a bit more careful”.
He died 70 minutes after being restrained in aisle four – the lolly aisle – of Alice Springs Coles, where it has been previously alleged by police he was trying to shoplift.
This masthead has previously exclusively revealed Mr White had a history of being “under medicated and undertreated” for his schizophrenia, with the court dismissing previous charges against him.
Mr White was in the care of Life Without Barriers in the lead up to his death, with Alice Springs prosecutor Steven Haig is alleged to be involved in restraining the young man inside the supermarket.
Both had legal representation at the first directions hearing, held in Alice Springs late October, into the mandatory coronial inquest into the death. No findings have been made yet.
More than five months on from the death, Warlpiri Elder and Mr White’s granddad Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves said he’s still searching for answers when speaking with this masthead on Sunday.
“It’s like we’re begging – we’re begging, you know, for the information,” he said.
“It’s been too long and they’ve been playing around with our minds, with my mind and with my family’s mind.
“I’m frustrated and I’m confused.”
In the wake of the death, Mr Hargraves – and his family – called for the CCTV from inside the supermarket to be released, for the officers alleged to be involved to be stood down, and for an independent investigation into the death – which NT Police have previously rejected.
On Monday, newly-sworn in NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole said the two officers had not been stood down, and were working “in non operational roles”.
“They’re both still employed and turning up to work regularly,” he said.
Mr Dole called the DPP’s request “normal process” and said there was “nothing deficient” in the brief of evidence handed over to the department on September 22.
“That’s common that they regularly come back to us when they’ve got matters they’ve been asked to consider,” he said.
“It just might be another question that they’ve asked that wasn’t considered or they hadn’t considered or they didn’t know they needed that material until they examined it thoroughly.”
Originally published as DPP requests ‘further evidentiary material’ from NT Police over Coles death in custody case in Alice
