‘Not right’: Audrey Griffin’s mum describes moment best friend found her body

Audrey Griffin’s mother has spoken about the moment the 19-year-old’s body was found, as she calls on leaders to do more on violence against women.

The mother of Audrey Griffin, who was murdered as she walked home from a night out with friends on the NSW Central Coast, has described the moment her daughter’s best friend found her body.

Kathleen Kirby told A Current Affair on Monday night that she knew something was terribly wrong when she checked her daughter’s location.

“I’d woken up and I looked at the phone and I saw the location, and straight away I was alarmed,” she said.

Unable to reach Audrey, Kathleen phoned her daughter’s friends who went to the location along Erina Creek, just metres from the main road, where they came across Audrey’s bag and phone before finding her body partially submerged in the creek.

“It’s not right for a young girl to have to find her best friend in the water,” Kathleen said.

Audrey Griffin's mother Kathleen Kirby breaks down remembering her beautiful daughter. Picture: A Current Affair/Channel 9

Audrey had left her friends at Hotel Gosford in the early hours of March 23, telling them she was going to get an Uber or a cab back to her dad’s house.

She was unable to book an Uber, and her mum believes 19-year-old Audrey had chosen that route home in the hope of finding a cab to hail along the way, as there’s a shorter route that passes through the centre of Gosford that she could have taken instead.

While walking, Audrey sent two Snapchat messages to her friends, these later helped police to track some of her movements.

Following an autopsy, police were quick to rule the teen’s death an accidental drowning - a finding that never sat well with her mother.

“She was a swimmer, she’s an ocean swimmer, she was strong,” she told ACA.

“My gut was telling me one thing, and it was not to give up. I couldn’t just go with she drowned. Not one person has walked up to me and said she drowned… No one believed it.”

Audrey Griffin's death was first ruled an accidental drowning. Picture: GoFundMe

Then, last week came the sensational announcement that a man had been arrested and charged with her murder. The man, 53-year-old Adrian Torrens, died in custody three days later.

Torrens was found unresponsive in a cell at Silverwater Correctional Complex in Western Sydney at about 4.50pm last Thursday after taking his own life. He was unable to be revived by Corrective Services staff and paramedics.

In a statement following news of Torrens’ suicide, a spokeswoman for Corrective Services NSW said the Torrens’ death will be reported to the NSW coroner and will be subject to a public inquest.

Adrian Torrens was charged with Audrey's murder last week. Picture:

“Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police investigate all deaths in custody regardless of the circumstances,,” the statement read.

“Corrective Services NSW extends its deepest sympathies to the family of Audrey Griffin at this distressing time.”

Audrey’s mother Kathleen want to see leaders do more to prevent violence against women in Australia, saying on A Current Affair, “Get on board, do something, make a change. She [Audrey] wasn’t a number. She’s not another person that just gets brushed under the carpet.”