Killer dad John Edwards’ cruel custody fight revealed

The inquest into the deaths of Jack and Jennifer Edwards has been told how a lawyer for their father tried to get them back into his custody despite multiple allegations of violence.

• Victim saw killer dad ‘half-skip’ from murder scene
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The lawyer representing the children of killer dad John ­Edwards in family court ­proceedings had allegedly pushed for him to visit his son and ­daughter despite claims he had hit them, an inquest into their slayings at his hands has been told.

Solicitor Debbie Morton was yesterday slammed as a “bully” who allegedly wanted to “drive” Jack and Jennifer Edwards into their father’s hands because she “didn’t put too much ­emphasis on the allegations of assault”, the inquest was told.

Ms Morton had been ­appointed to specifically represent the brother and sister in what has been described as the acrimonious custody fight between Edwards and his ­estranged wife Olga in the Federal Circuit Court.

John Edwards.

About 18 months later, Olga Edwards returned to her Pennant Hills home to find her husband had shot their children Jack, 15, and Jennifer, 13, dead in their bedroom ­before killing himself.

Six months later, Olga Edwards, 37, committed suicide.

“(Ms Morton was) a bully. mean … unhelpful,” Ms Edwards’ lawyer David Brown told the inquest yesterday. “She could jump up and down as much as she liked but the children were not going to see their father. I didn’t like her.”

State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan allowed the evidence after the Family Court Chief Justice Will Alstergren gave permission for the ­inquest to reveal what would normally be confidential ­family court proceedings.

Ms Morton will be called to give evidence and yesterday lost a bid to have her identity suppressed.

As well as examining how Edwards, 67, with a history of intimidation and family violence was given a gun licence, the inquest is also looking at whether a person involved in family court proceedings should be required to disclose this before applying for a firearms licence and whether their partner should be told they have applied for one.

Jennifer Edwards, 13. Picture: Supplied

Jack Edwards, 15. Picture: Supplied

The inquest is also looking at the proper role of an independent children’s lawyer where there are allegations of violence against children.

Olga Edwards had custody of their son and daughter and had in 2016 made a complaint to police about her husband’s violence, the inquest has heard. When she went to collect her belongings from their former home, he handed her a box nine inches square.

The inquest heard evidence that Ms Morton had told the custody proceedings in 2016 that she had subpoenaed details of the police complaint and had said the police “put it down to ­parenting, perhaps heavy ­parenting”.

The inquest also heard that when Jack Edwards refused to see a psychologist for counselling as part of the custody proceedings, Ms Morton said if he continued to refuse and if Ms Edwards did not take them to see their father, she would ask the judge to consider removing the children from their mother’s care.

Olga Edwards.

Solicitor David Brown arrives at the inquest before giving evidence. Picture: John Grainger

“I had a clear ­impression that (Ms Morton) was going to drive the children into John’s hands and she didn’t put too much emph­asis on the allegations of assault,” Mr Brown, who also employed Ms Edwards as a solicitor, said.

The inquest has also heard about Ms Edwards’ fear that she would return home one day to find her husband had killed their son because he couldn’t control his temper.

Jack slept with a cricket bat in his bedroom.

The inquest continues.