Dead Wrong podcast: Coroner refuses to rule out murder

A CORONER examining the death of a young scientist was told the victim feared “he may cop a bullet’’ as tensions between workers on a property near Brisbane boiled over.

A CORONER examining the death of a young scientist was told the victim feared “he may cop a bullet’’ as tensions between workers on a Beenleigh property boiled over.

Coroner Trevor Anders delivered an open finding at the 1998 inquest into the death of aquaculturist Jeffrey Brooks at the Beenleigh Crayfish Farm, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, on March 13, 1996.

Police concluded that Jeffrey, 24, of northern NSW, accidentally shot himself with an old shotgun used to scare birds as he yanked it, barrel first, from a small utility.

Coroner Anders found that while this could not be ruled out as a possibility, evidence the victim feared for his safety after threats from colleagues could form a possible motive for murder.

He also noted inconsistencies in statements of co-workers; accounts that Jeffrey previously had refused to use the weapon; and that he may have been too far from it at discharge to have died.

Family and friends, backed by evidence uncovered as part of an investigation by The Courier-Mail, are calling for the case to be reopened in a bid to find the truth.

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Coroner Anders, presiding at Beenleigh, said the victim’s father, Lawrie Brooks, had completed an exhaustive investigation himself, and was “highly critical of police in relation to some of their conclusions’’.

He said there had been a number of inconsistencies in evidence given by co-workers, and their movements at the time of the death had been corroborated only “to some extent’’.

Jeffrey Brooks. Picture: Supplied

“The deceased had indicated to some persons that he was concerned about his safety. There is certainly evidence before me, which considered, could form a motive,’’ he wrote.

“The difficulty I have, however, is that on the evidence before me, death by accident can also not be ruled out.

“As Dr Naylor (police pathologist, Dr Charles Naylor) has said, there are a number of hypotheses and the conclusion I have reached is that neither death by accident nor by suspicious circumstances can be ruled out.’’

Detective Sergeant Mike Condon, promoted to Senior Sergeant by the time of the inquest, was questioned about inconsistencies in statements.

He said the farm manager had nominated three places visited on the afternoon of the death, but after discussions with witnesses at these locations, the order of the movements was found to be inconsistent.

Sen-Sgt Condon was asked if he had pressed the manager about why his version of events was different to other accounts.

“It’s more that he has the people he went to see out of order. I don’t think it really changes the fact that, on his own admissions, as to what time he got back to the farm. So, on that basis, the answer to your question is I have not pursued that any further,’’ he said.

Sen-Sgt Condon told the inquest he had been made aware of tension on the farm and “the deceased had himself indicated to certain persons that he was concerned that he may cop a bullet’’.

“In particular, I think he was more concerned about what …. (the farm manager) may do to him,” Sen-Sgt Condon said. “I found a number of circumstances that, if police could prove a criminal act took place, then I would say that that would form the basis of a motive for the death of the deceased.”

Matters are finalised once a coroner has made findings.

However, the coroner may reopen an investigation or inquest in cases where new evidence has been found or the circumstances require more investigation.