‘Do you think he will?’: Tyrell Edwards’ mum heard callous prison guard comments, court told

Already distraught at her eldest son’s incarceration, the mother of Tyrell Edwards made an immediate complaint to authorities when she allegedly overheard an exchange between two prison officers on the other end of the phone.

The mother of Buxton fatal crash driver Tyrell Edwards has told a court she was outraged when she overheard prison staff discussing whether her son was likely to commit suicide after he was remanded in custody on dangerous driving charges.

Renee Edwards told the NSW Supreme Court this week she struggled to get in contact with her 18-year-old son during his first few days behind bars after he was initially refused bail on September 8.

Tyrell was charged with five counts of dangerous driving occasioning death over the crash, which claimed the lives of teen passengers Lily van de Putte, Gabby McLennan, Antonio Desisto, Tyrese Bechard and Summer Williams.

Mrs Edwards said in an affidavit when she finally did speak to her son in custody, he was “so upset I could not understand a lot of what he was saying”.

She then said two prison guards began speaking about Tyrell’s situation when he handed the phone back to them.

Tyrell Edwards was the driver of a vehicle where five teenagers died in Buxton. Picture: Facebook

“I heard two Correctional officers talking about whether Tyrell would commit suicide,” she said in the affidavit written in support of her son’s application for bail.

“[A female said] “Do you think he will do it? He is responsible for five deaths.”

“[A male responded] What? Kill himself?”

Mrs Edwards said she complained to Justice Health, which promised to investigate.

She said went three days without any contact, prompting her to call again desperate for information on her son’s welfare.

The court heard she was told Tyrell was being housed in a “safe cell” with 24-hour video monitoring because he was “showing suicidal ideations”.

Tyrell Edwards (right) pictured with one of the victims, Antonio Desisto (left) a few months before the September 6 crash. Picture: Instagram

Mrs Edwards said she escalated her concerns to the prison’s top brass and was somewhat comforted by a call later that day from the governor of the jail.

However, she said her contact with her son remained haphazard and when she did manage to speak to him, he was “very quiet and flat”

“I feel isolated and in constant fear that my son will not make it through the day,” she said in the affidavit, dated September 16.

Tyrell was granted strict conditional bail by the NSW Supreme Court earlier this week in part so he could access specialist psychological treatment for his deteriorating mental health.

A spokesperson for Corrective Services said its staff worked hard to ensure people in custody maintained close connections with loved ones including facilitating regular phone calls, video calls a in-person visits.

“The safety and welfare of people in our care is our primary concern, and we constantly review a variety of factors to determine management and placement of inmates, including those who are vulnerable or at risk of poor mental health,” the department said.

“We expect staff to conduct themselves professionally at all times and treat all people in their care with dignity and respect.”

Friends pay their respects at a memorial of flowers dedicated to the five teens killed in a car crash at Buxton. Picture: John Grainger

Meanwhile, family and close friends also provided affidavits to the court in which they described Tyrell as an “introvert” who struggled with traditional schooling and suffered from high levels of anxiety.

They also said he was “easily led” by others and would often give in to “peer pressure” to “fit in”.

“Tyrell had one incident at school [at] Picton High where he was given a warning after being convinced by a few other students to jump into a class window during school hours and throw around paper,” his mother wrote in a second affidavit tendered to the court.

Close family friend Linda Brabek, who referred to herself as his “aunty”, said when Tyrell was caught “testing boundaries” throughout his childhood it was often because he was easily led.

Debris at the scene of the crash. Picture: John Grainger

“To my knowledge, Tyrell was rarely the instigator,” she said.

Another close friend, Annache Bindermann, told the court she believed Tyrell would have preferred to have died in the crash alongside his passengers.

“He witnessed things no one should, and I know Tyrell wishes he joined his friends in the outcome that occurred at the scene,” she said.

“This further shows that the trauma, guilt and remorse is far worse than losing his life in a prison.”

As part of his bail conditions, Tyrell is banned from getting behind the wheel of a car and must not approach or contact any prosecution witnesses.

His case will return to Picton Local Court in November.
For 24/7 crisis support: Lifeline 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.