Jaye Christensen ‘devastated’ after Coroner rules Dean Webber to never give evidence

The family of a North Queensland dad killed in a double stabbing at Alva Beach are “devastated” the man who stabbed him to death will never give evidence at an inquest.

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THE family of a North Queensland dad killed in a double stabbing are “devastated” the man who stabbed him to death will never give evidence at an inquest.

Jaye Christensen, the wife of Corey Christensen, said it was “unfathomable” that Dean Webber has been excused from giving evidence due to severe PTSD his doctors say could scar him for life.

On Friday, Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley made her decision at a Southport Court more than nine months after an inquest kicked off looking into Mr Christensen and Tom Davy’s deaths at Alva Beach on October 1, 2018.

Mr Webber stabbed and killed both men when they broke into his Toptin St home looking for Mr Davy’s injured girlfriend, Candice Locke, who was hiding inside.

Tom Davy and Corey Christensen (inset) were killed at a home in Alva Beach in 2018.

Mr Webber was deemed by police to have acted in self-defence when he picked up a knife to protect himself and Ms Locke, 30, when they stormed his home.

In March, the Supreme Court upheld a coroner’s decision to excuse Mr Webber from giving oral evidence at the inquest into the deaths after Mr Davy’s family had launched legal action.

Ms Bentley ordered Mr Webber to provide written evidence but this too was challenged by Mr Davy’s family who called for an independent psychiatric report.

On Friday, Ms Bentley ruled that Mr Webber would be excused totally from giving evidence after receiving medical reports from his own doctors.

Corey Christensen and his wife Jaye.

She said Mr Webber’s psychiatrist had reported he was suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and to subject him to cross-examination would be ‘extremely dangerous’.

His evidence was also likely to be unreliable because of his ‘fragile’ mental state, the court heard.

Dean Webber hours after the stabbing shows police a bruise to his lip he suffered in a scuffle with the men.

Mrs Christensen was reeling from the decision.

“We are devastated … it is unfathomable,” she said.

“He needs to be put through the process just like everyone else who has been questioned.

“That is the whole point of an inquest to get all of the information from everyone involved to establish what happened.

Mrs Christensen said there was “no point” to the inquest without Mr Webber’s evidence.

Ms Bentley said the evidence was now complete and ordered parties to provide written submissions by August 6, with her findings to be delivered at a later date.

The Alva Beach inquest first kicked off at Cairns in October last year, and heard from a range of witnesses including Ms Locke, Mr Christensen’s best mate Louis Bengoa, police, paramedics and emergency call-takers.

The Coroner heard a range of evidence which would assist her in making findings on how well police and paramedics assisted on the night, and whether they could have done anything to save the lives of the men.

Originally published as Jaye Christensen ‘devastated’ after Coroner rules Dean Webber to never give evidence