Police shooting death of former soldier Khrys Alan Mark-Kelly Vignes inquest begins in Cairns

An intense 11-hour siege at a beachside suburb in Queensland culminated with police fatally shooting a 30-year-old man who had disappeared into a crocodile-infested creek for several hours before allegedly aiming his rifle at police, an inquest has heard.

Edward Vignes and Geraldine Vignes enter the Cairns courthouse for the first day of the coronial inquest into the shooting death of their son Khrys Alan Mark-Kelly Vignes, 30, who died on March 29, 2020. Picture: Brendan Radke

A man who allegedly fired shots from a high powered rifle before vanishing into a murky creek where he was ultimately fatally shot by police was a significant risk to police and the public, a senior police officer told a coronial inquest on Monday.

An inquiry into the death of Khrys Alan Mark-Kelly Vignes, 30, started on Monday before State Coroner Terry Ryan.

The court heard how Cairns police Senior Sergeant Matthew Stevens drove to the scene at 4.20am, where his police van was hit head-on by a man in a four-wheel drive just after another officer suffered fractures when hit while trying to lay down a stinger.

Detective Superintendent Sonia Smith said she arrived at 7.20am after receiving advice a man had rammed two police cars, one officer had been taken to Cairns Hospital, the man had fired shots and it was ongoing.

He was at large in a cane paddock across the road from the Go Kart area and armed with a shotgun when she arrived, the court heard.

Uniformed officers initially attended to an alleged break and enter of a Telstra facility off the Captain Cook Highway at Palm Cove, and the man drove to Yorkeys Knob where his car was set alight and he allegedly fired shots.

“He made a mad dash over the highway into long grass near people’s houses, which were evacuated,” Det Supt Smith said.

When police reported they saw the man in the water, Det Supt Smith said “I considered the fact he had been located, someone had eyes on him, he was armed with a high powered rifle of some sort and had discharged it multiple times”.

“It was a dynamic and unsafe environment to send (negotiators) in to, he was still on the move in (Thomatis Creek),” she said.

The siege involved the dog squad, officers trained in using a service rifle, the rescue helicopter, the Special Emergency Response Team and a public safety preservation act order was made.

The man entered the water in Thomatis Creek about 8.07am and by 9am SERT officers could not see him, and by 10am he could not be seen by the helicopter crew, the court heard.

“While we could not have eyes on him, there was significant risk to police and the community,” Det Supt Smith said.

“He had shown a propensity for violence.”

The court heard Mr Vignes’ girlfriend Amber Coppola, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, had made contact with police.

Det Supt Smith said the aim was “to arrest him in a manner safe to him, safe to police, safe to the public”.

Just after noon, SERT used flashbang tactics – a stun grenade, to no avail.

Det Supt Smith said it was possible “he was still hiding, he had drowned, he had been taken by a crocodile, or that he had escaped the cordons by foot or by swimming”.

She noted in her police diary that at 3.21pm she heard a series of gunshots, the court heard.

Police allege the man stood in waist deep water and aimed his gun at police.

Earlier, Senior Sergeant Matthew Stevens, who was on the scene from 4.30am to 12.45pm, told the inquest he pulled his car off to the shoulder of the road as a four-wheel-drive with its lights on high beam crossed to the wrong side of the road, drove straight at him and hit the car.

“My assessment was we were dealing with a very motivated occupant of the vehicle, prepared to intentionally ram and run down police,” he said.

He said he believed the only thing Mr Vignes said during the siege was “get back or I’ll shoot”.

“I had a genuine fear for the safety of my officers,” he said.

Originally published as Police shooting death of former soldier Khrys Alan Mark-Kelly Vignes inquest begins in Cairns