Crowdfunding swings into gear to get family to Cairns for inquest into missing mum Allison Neridine Bernard
The family of a young mum who disappeared in 2013 and who have been seeking answers for nine years cannot afford to attend the rest of the coronial inquest that resumes in the Cairns Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.
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MOTHER to two young children, 23-year-old Allison Neridine Bernard was last seen at the Archer River Quarry by then-caretaker Thomas Byrnes on the night of February 10, 2013.
But her family, who have been seeking answers for nine years, cannot afford the cost of attending the rest of the coronial inquest into the Kowanyama mum’s disappearance, which resumes in the Cairns Coroner’s Court on Tuesday.
The State of Queensland does not pay for families to attend coronial inquests, and Ms Bernard’s family cannot afford to travel from their remote Aboriginal community.
Lawyer for Ms Bernard’s family Debbie Kilroy said the State Government could do “so much more” for every family who goes through the coronial inquest process - not just remote and rural families.
“Because families are not funded to attend the inquest and families are not funded to have independent lawyers to represent their interests. They’re made to rely on counsel-assist, whereas counsel-assist is there for the coroner, not the families,” Ms Kilroy said.
“We are advocating in Ms Bernard’s inquest ... that legal aid is available for families and that the court is resourced or the coroner’s office is resourced to pay for families to attend their loved ones’ inquest, no matter where they are in the state.”
Ms Kilroy said it was known for certain inquests to be transferred out of the jurisdiction in which they began - to Brisbane, for instance - and that made it difficult for family members who wished to attend.
In the absence of state funding, Ms Kilroy has turned to crowd-funding to pay for flights, accommodation, and food, to ensure they can attend.
“These funds raised will ensure that Ms Bernard’s two mothers, son and uncle can be present in court as witnesses give evidence about Ms Bernard and her last sighting,” Ms Kilroy wrote.
“Please help us to ensure that the family attends the coronial inquest with the hope that they find Ms Bernard’s body and bring her home to finally be laid to rest.”
The GoFundMe campaign has so far raised $7181.
The first part of the inquest into Ms Bernard’s disappearance began on December 14 last year and ran for three days.
No trace of Ms Bernard has ever been found and no charges have ever been laid over her disappearance.
The second part of the inquest, which begins on Tuesday morning, is expected to hear from numerous police witnesses, and finally, from the last person to see Ms Bernard alive, Mr Byrnes.
In December, the Cairns Coroner’s Court heard from Ms Bernard’s family that she wasn’t ordinarily one to go with strangers and that she would maintain contact regularly.
The inquest had previously heard evidence that Archer River Quarry caretaker Thomas Byrnes, after drinking with Ms Bernard at the Exchange Hotel in Coen, intended to take her to the quarry on the night of February 10 to “look after her”.
Coen resident David Port told the court he could tell Mr Byrnes was “keen” on Ms Bernard.
Giving evidence on the second day of the inquest, Archer River Roadhouse co-owner Elsie Allan recounted how in a phone call she made to Mr Byrnes on February 13, he described how Ms Bernard had “wet herself” in the car and that he had put her clothes in the washing machine and washed them.
“Yeah, he said that she had a towel wrapped around her and she freaked out on him and ran out,” Ms Allan said, referencing her 2013 witness statement to police.
It was on the third day of the inquest that the court heard of threats allegedly made by Mr Byrnes to others in the years after Ms Bernard’s disappearance.
One woman who confronted Mr Byrnes about “disgusting” statements he had been making about her told the court he had come up to her and said: “I put things like you in the ground”.
The court also heard from two former Exchange Hotel regulars of a drinking session at the hotel in September or October 2020 where Mr Byrnes allegedly told them words to the effect of: “I could bury you next to her and you would never be found”.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said generally, family members of a deceased person who wish to attend an inquest pay for the costs of attending themselves.
“However family who are required to attend Court as witnesses may be entitled to travel expenses paid by the Queensland Police,” she said.
Originally published as Crowdfunding swings into gear to get family to Cairns for inquest into missing mum Allison Neridine Bernard
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