‘What really happened?’ One year on from death of Bradley Smith
Loved ones of 14-year-old Bradley Smith, who was killed in a stolen car on Valentine’s Day last year, have demanded answers from an internal police probe set up to investigate his death.
Cairns
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Loved ones of the teen killed in a stolen car on Valentine’s Day last year have demanded answers of an internal police probe set up to investigate the death of a 14-year-old boy in state care one year ago.
On a dark and wet Sunday night on February 14 last year Bradley Smith was a passenger in a stolen Toyota Yaris along with five other youths when the vehicle lost control on Pease St and crashed into a tree near Saltwater Creek bridge.
The 14-year-old driver of the stolen car has been charged with manslaughter and three counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and one count each of burglary, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and driving without a licence.
The youth is expected to be sentenced in March.
The office of the state coroner is yet to release the outcome of an investigation which cannot be made public until the completion of a Queensland Police Service Ethical Standards Command review into actions of Queensland Police officers involved in the tracking of the stolen car.
Informal carer of Bradley before the teen was returned to the care of the Cairns Child Safety Department, Tiarnie Mueller, remains desperate to find out what actually happened the night her surrogate son died.
“I would have liked to have and would have thought we would have had answers by now, it’s not acceptable, and Bradley deserves some answers,” she said.
“What really happened that night? He was a young vulnerable kid who was a follower, I blame everyone, especially the Child Safety Department, if he had somewhere nice to be he would not have been out on the street that night.”
Ms Mueller said a police car was following the stolen Yaris before the fatal crash and footage of the car recorded on her home security system had been surrendered to investigating officers.
But she didn’t believe police officers doing their jobs that night contributed to Bradley’s death.
“There was a police car not far behind the vehicle that Bradley was in. I heard the crash. The crash was only 200m from my house,” she said.
“The police are just doing their job, the kids should not be out stealing cars, it was a wet rainy day and the kids were under the influence of drugs.”
“I just think the weather and them being under the influence of drugs and alcohol, (contributed to his death) I don’t want to blame anyone but these kids should be safe at night,” Ms Mueller said.
“A lot of these kids that are out doing things at night are in the care of Child Safety or are homeless.”
A Coroners Court of Queensland spokesman in a statement to the Cairns Post said the agency was awaiting a report from the Queensland Police Service Ethical Standards Command.
“A decision will be made whether to convene an inquest into the death of Bradley Smith following the receipt of that report,” the statement read.
However asked about the internal investigation chief superintendent Rhys Newton said on Tuesday the investigation was with the state coroner.
“There’s a death involved. So Ethical Standards Command will be conducting the investigation overseen by the Crime and Corruption Commission,” he said.
“The investigation itself is with the state coroner and it’s really not appropriate for me to comment on that.”
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Originally published as ‘What really happened?’ One year on from death of Bradley Smith
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