Hunted officer made haunting Triple-O call while escaping Wieambilla massacre
The triple-0 call of a policewoman stalked by the murderous Train family at Wieambilla is likely to be played at an inquest into their deaths after debate over whether she should appear in person.
Police & Courts
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A two-hour Triple-0 recording of a young police officer’s night of terror being hunted through bushland by a trio of murderous conspiracy theorists will likely be played at an inquest into their deaths.
And a psychologist’s clinical notes of conversations with one of the killers will also need to be retrieved after it was revealed police had not taken a statement from the man.
Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train attempted to shoot Constable Keely Brough and lit fires in an attempt to flush her out of hiding after murdering her two colleagues, Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold.
Constables McCrow, Arnold, Brough and Randall Kirk walked into an ambush when they arrived at the Trains’ Wieambilla property on December 12, 2022 to conduct a missing persons inquiry.
The officers visited the rural property of Gareth Train and his wife Stacey to ask about missing NSW school principal Nathaniel - Gareth’s brother and the former husband of Stacey.
But after jumping the fence and walking up the driveway, the four young officers were fired upon by the trio.
Constables McCrow, 29, and Arnold, 26, were killed, while Constables Brough and Kirk managed to escape.
Neighbour Alan Dare, 58, was also killed after he saw smoke at the Trains property and came to investigate.
Instead, he found a police car on fire and was shot dead by his neighbours.
The Trains were killed hours later after a shootout with specialist officers.
Police have said Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey subscribed to Premillennialism and believed Christ would return to earth for a period of 1000 years after a time of widespread destruction.
The trio hated police and had constructed makeshift sniper hides and stashed ammunition around their rural property.
A pre-inquest hearing yesterday heard arguments over whether Const Brough should be excused from giving evidence on medical grounds.
The inquest heard medical evidence relating to Const Brough’s health had been submitted to the court with the intent of excusing her appearance.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Ruth O’Gorman KC, told State Coroner Terry Ryan she believed a lengthy audio recording would be as effective as any evidence Const Brough could give.
“We do note that Constable Brough was on a telephone call to Triple-0 for the entirety of the incident and that a recording was made of that telephone call,” she said.
“The evidence that she might otherwise be expected to be able to give about the matters that she saw or otherwise observed at the property are captured (and) stated by her on that recording in real time.
“Given that that evidence, which your honour might well consider would be the best evidence that Const Brough could give, is already available to your honour, it reduces the utility of otherwise calling Const Brough.”
Francois Malan, representing the McCrow and Arnold families, argued Const Brough should be cross-examined.
“Respectfully, while the families appreciate that the events which took place were traumatic, particularly in relation to Const Keely Brough, (she) was in fact one of the few people who was present at the time of the events and who has witnessed events which led to the deaths of Constables McCrow and Arnold.
“It is the families’ position that they wish to understand, as do all the other parties, the facts which relate to the deaths of their respective loved family members and QPS officers.”
Patrick McCafferty KC, representing multiple police including Const Brough, said the medical evidence relating to the young officer was “compelling and unanswerable” and attempts to cross examine her would be in “complete disregard of her wellbeing”.
“The attempt to re-traumatise her should not be entertained by your honour,” he said.
The inquest also heard police had not taken a statement or requested clinical notes from Nathaniel’s treating psychologist, David Burrell.
The court heard there were emails between the pair included in a statement in the brief of evidence but Mr Burrell was not included on the witness list.
The former partner of Nathaniel, who is among various parties represented by lawyers at the hearing, argued his psychologist should be giving evidence.
She also argued a statement should be taken from Nathaniel’s former teaching colleague Luke Ballard, who he had confided in about various matters, the hearing heard.
Ms O’Gorman proposed investigators take statements from each of the men as well adding them to the witness list.
She also said clinical records held by Mr Burrell should be provided.
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