Adelaide inquest to commence on Tuesday into Kobi Shepherdson’s murder at Whispering Wall reservoir

An inquest is about to start to investigate the case that horrified the nation after a father killed himself and baby Kobi at the Whispering Wall reservoir in 2021.

An inquest will commence on Tuesday to investigate the circumstances of the man who killed himself and baby Kobi at the Whispering Wall reservoir.

In a case that horrified the nation, Henry Shepherdson drove his nine-month-old daughter to the Whispering Wall reservoir on April 21, 2021.

At 4.30pm, Shepherdson jumped off the 36m-high dam as witnesses watched in shock. Both died at the scene.

During an inquest, the State Coroner calls witnesses to give evidence of what they know about the death.

An inquest is not a trial but rather an investigative process to shed light on the cause and circumstances of a death.

Only a small percentage of all deaths reported to the State Coroner are the subject of an inquest.

However, if the State Coroner believes that the cause or circumstances of death are a matter of substantial public importance, particularly, if they relate to public health or safety, he may decide to hold an inquest.

Kobi Shepherdson was nine months old when she was killed by her father in April 2021. Picture: SA Police

Kobi Shepherdson’s father was granted access to her despite his history of violence. Picture: SA Police

It was revealed that a court had granted Shepherdson renewed access to Kobi, overturning a ban imposed when he allegedly assaulted and threatened to kill her.

Police also confirmed there had been a history of domestic violence between him and Kobi’s mother.

Shepherdson, of Torrensville, had been subject to court-imposed conditions on his movements and internet use for four months.

He was accused of domestic violence-related offending in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on December 23, 2020.

At that time, the court banned him from contacting or being within 200m of his family, and from publishing any material about them on the internet, as part of his bail conditions.

On the day of the tragedy, Shepherdson’s case was heard in the Adelaide Magistrates Court for an application to vary those two conditions.

The Whispering Wall. Picture: Mike Burton

His case was also referred to the Abuse Prevention Program – one of the Courts Administration Authority’s specialist “intervention” initiatives.

Participants in the program are “diverted” away from the standard court process to undergo counselling and treatment designed to bolster their rehabilitative prospects.

At the time, Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott noted Kobi had “a beautiful face, which could probably be the face of domestic violence moving forward”.

Mr Parrott said Kobi was attached to Shepherdson, 38, in a baby carrier when members of the public saw him jump from the Whispering Wall, a popular tourist attraction near Williamstown in SA’s Barossa Valley.

Members of the public tried to save baby Kobi, and emergency services found them working on her when they arrived. Shepherdson was found deceased.

Mr Parrott said Shepherdson had “lawful access” to Kobi and he “didn’t believe” it was meant to be supervised access.

“The baby was not taken,” he said. “There was a very short time frame between the public having notified us that the incident had occurred and Kobi’s mother making contact with triple-0.

In making a decision after an inquest the court can also make recommendations to any relevant authorities that may result in changes to laws or practices in order to prevent similar deaths in the future.

It is not the State Coroner’s role to establish whether a crime has been committed or to find a person guilty of that crime.

Originally published as Adelaide inquest to commence on Tuesday into Kobi Shepherdson’s murder at Whispering Wall reservoir