Simone Quinlan: Coroner’s findings handed down in 2015 Kangaroo Flat murder

A coroner has found police missed crucial red flags before a Melbourne mother was murdered by her ex and dumped in a Kangaroo Flat mine shaft.

Gaps within Victorian police procedures failed to protect a Melbourne mother from being tortured, murdered and dumped in a Kangaroo Flat mine shaft, a coroner has found.

Melton man Brendan Neil bound and gagged Simone Quinlan before his associate Wayne Marmo dumped her body in an unused mineshaft on September 20 2015.

The inquest heard Ms Quinlan had told police she was scared of her ex 42 days before she was killed.

But as police prepared to placed a family violence order against him they called Mr Neil, tipping him off.

State Coroner John Cain said police missed crucial “red flags” in the lead up to Ms Quinlan’s death.

“Once perpetrators are made aware of a complaint of family violence allegations against them, it is possible that they could evade service and perpetrate further violence against the affected family member,” he said.

Judge Cain said it was a gap in the system that “should be addressed”.

Ms Quinlan started dating Mr Neil in April 2015 when he soon showed controlling and violent behaviour.

She said Mr Neil had attacked her with a baseball bat twice, including one assault where she required stitches to her head.

On August 19 Mr Neil also drove past her friend’s house and threw rocks at her front windows.

Ms Quinlan started dating Neil in April.

Ms Quinlan gave a statement to police about that incident and the baseball attacks.

Police asked to interview Mr Neil in what judge Cain said tipped Mr Neil off who blamed Ms Quinlan for the “unwanted police attention”.

Mr Neil was expected to meet with officers on August 25 but instead police received a call from her accused abuser’s phone from Ms Quinlin asking for the complaint to be withdrawn.

Officers said she sounded “odd” but there was no indication she was distressed or under duress.

That same day Neil bound Ms Quinlan in his lounge room before he brutally tortured and beat her.

Mr Neil’s associate Wayne Marmo watched from the kitchen while smoking ice and cutting down the barrel of a .22 rifle.

Later her bound body was carried to the back of Mr Marmo’s ute who drove off not knowing if she was alive.

While driving he noticed the tray cover moving, got out near Anthonys Cutting, Bacchus March, and fired several shots into her head.

Mr Marmo dumped her body down a mine shaft at Kangaroo Flat before dousing her in petrol and igniting it.

Neil and his associate were arrested and charged on September 13 but it would take another 17 days before Ms Quinlan’s body was recovered.

Police search Kangaroo Flat where the body of Simone Quinlan was found. Picture Daryl Pinder

On 14 December 2017 Mr Neil and Mr Marmo were found guilty of the murder of Ms Quinlan in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Mr Neil and Mr Marmo were sentenced to 26 years and 22 years jail respectively.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said their response to family violence had come a long way since Ms Quinlan’s death.

“Victoria police will be updating its code of practice for the investigation of family violence and we will carefully consider the recommendation made by the Coroner,” a spokeswoman said.

In February police updated its policy to emphasise serving intervention orders in a timely manner to protect victims.

Judge Cain was also critical of “systemic issues” which underestimated the risk Mr Neil posed to his victim while on a community corrections order.

Ms Quinlan’s body was found dumped in a Kangaroo Flat mine shaft on September 20, 2015 – 36 days after she was murdered and 42 days after she told police she was scared of her ex-partner. Picture: Victoria Police

He said in 2015 there were “systemic issues” in community correction order management, including poor risk identification, inadequate drug testing and supervision, and poorly prepared judicial monitoring reports.

Judge Cain recommended Corrections Victoria move to an electronic case management system to efficiently identify high-risk behaviour.

A spokeswoman said the Department of Justice and Community Safety would consider the Coroner’s findings.

“We are always looking for ways to continuously improve our management of offenders, including through the development of modern and fit-for-purpose reporting systems and providing staff training to support their management of offenders in the community,” she said.

“Since 2019 Corrections Victoria has strengthened its notification systems with Victoria police, enabling electronic notifications when an offender has come into custody or contact with police, including matters relating to family violence intervention orders.”

The department currently uses electronic database systems to manage offenders subject to supervision in the community.