Brandon Rich: Inquest begins for 29-year-old Aboriginal man who died in police custody in Wellington

An inquest into the death of a 29-year-old Aboriginal man who died while in police custody has revealed police were not wearing body-worn cameras. Here’s the latest.

The mother of a 29-year-old Aboriginal man who died shortly after he suffered a cardiac arrest while in police custody have told of their horror after the death of her son.

WARNING: This story contains an image and details of an Aboriginal person who has died.

Wiradjuri man Brandon Rich, 29, died on December 30, 2021, after he was confronted by police at his grandmother's home at Maughan St, Wellington - he was pronounced dead at Wellington Hospital less than 30 minutes later.

The coronial inquest, which began on Monday, has heard officers on duty who attended the scene did not wear body worn cameras.

Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame will investigate the circumstances leading up to Mr Rich’s death, while factoring the level of restraint used by police and the use of capsicum spray.

Brandon Rich. Photo: Supplied.

Brandon Rich. Photo: Supplied.

On the opening day of the inquest, the court heard the officers on duty performed CPR on Mr Rich, shortly after he lost consciousness, before paramedics arrived and took him to hospital.

The court heard Mr Rich had been living with his grandmother, however the pair had a deteriorating relationship in the past 18 months prior to his death which involved physical and verbal abuse levelled against her.

His grandmother Denise Rich told the court she wanted to place an apprehended violence order against Mr Rich as the pair had been arguing from 7am, a few hours before he died.

Brandon Rich's family in front of Dubbo Court House. Photo: Tijana Birdjan

When two officers arrived at the front of her property and were speaking with Mr Rich, they wanted to take him to Wellington Police Station, however he refused and ran inside the house while trying to barricade the front door.

The court heard the officers used capsicum spray on through the gaps of the door.

Mr Rich ran to the bathroom and attempted to escape out the window, while the officers attempted to restrain him.

The court heard once Mr Rich was experiencing a cardiac arrest, the officers removed the handcuffs and tried to resuscitate him.

Brandon Rich's family in front of Dubbo Court House. Photo: Tijana Birdjan

Emergency services were called to the scene, and he was taken to hospital - he died shortly after.

Shedding tears in the evidence box, his grandmother said she would have welcomed him home after he went to the station.

Describing their relationship, Ms Rich said he was beginning to get more and more “abusive” towards her as time went on, demanding for his grandmother to purchase him cigarettes and other items.

“I must say he wasn’t really abusive first off but later on when he was using [drugs] he was,” she said.

“I let him get away with a lot of things but that was only because I loved him.”

A Dhadjowa Foundation statement said Mr Rich’s mother Corina Rich does not want another family to go through what their family has gone through.

“Knowing our loved one won’t be coming home is heartbreaking and we live with this trauma day in, day out,” she said.

“We will never know what the future would’ve held for my beautiful son.

“My heart goes out to all the other families who have lost a loved one.”

According to Aboriginal Legal Service, Mr Rich is one of the 550 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991.

The inquest is scheduled to continue until early next week.