Jingili gardens and Karama murders: Systemic police failures highlighted in Coroner’s reports

Red flags missed and collusion with a killer: The Territory Coroner has highlighted police failures in the lead up to a 20-year-old stabbed in broad daylight and a mum brutally bashed.

The Northern Territory Coroner has found “specific and systemic” police failings in the lead up to the brutal domestic violence murders of two women.

On Friday, Coroner Elisabeth Armitage handed down her findings into two separate deaths of Aboriginal women: a 20-year-old stabbed at Jingili Water Gardens, and a 47-year-old mum bashed in Karama.

Similar oversights were highlighted in each case: police being unaware of or not accessing DV histories; not obtaining witness statements, failing to apply a DV lens to the relationship; not building rapport with victims; discounting the victim’s complaint due to intoxication; missing signs of coercive control; injuries overlooked or minimised; failing to identify the person most in need of protection; and instances of apparent collusion with the perpetrator.

Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage. Picture: Glenn Campbell

In both reports Ms Armitage referred to the 35 recommendations made in her recent inquest into domestic violence in the NT, including the need for an evidence-based alcohol intervention strategy, expanding the co-responder model, and improving police DV training and resources.

In the Jingili case she also made one additional recommendation for NT Police to prioritise DV training for all serving officers identified as falling substantially short of expected standards.

“It is unfortunately not uncommon for police responses to fall short of the standards set by NT Police general orders, training and policies,” she said.

“This is a systemic failing that NT Police have acknowledged and are actively seeking to address.”

Warren Dhamarrandji, 36, was found guilty of murdering his partner and sentenced to life in prison. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

Warren Dhamarrandji, then 36, was handed a life sentence for murdering his 20-year-old partner in a broad daylight attack beside Jingili Water Gardens on December 1, 2020.

He and the victim had entered into a relationship about a year prior, after he ended a previous relationship also beset by domestic violence.

Between them the pair had 75 recorded involvements with police and eight criminal offences.

The Coroner’s report detailed several incidents between Dhamarrandji and the victim where, in hindsight, domestic violence red flags were missed by responding officers.

The 20-year-old was killed at Jingili Water Gardens in December 2020. Picture: Che Chorley

Less than 48 hours before her death, the 20-year-old was at Jingili Water Gardens with plans to leave Dhamarrandji and return home to Wadeye.

That afternoon she called triple-0, reporting Dhamarrandji wanted to kill her, had hit her, and she wanted him locked up.

According to the Coroner’s report, responding police challenged the victim about her name, accused her of lying, and made a veiled threat to find her real name at the watch-house.

She showed police a photo of Dhamarrandji, said he was her partner and he was no good.

The officers concluded: “appears to be some type of false malicious report, unable to establish any DV incident or involvement, this case to be closed”.

Towards the end of the interaction it seemed police had become aware of the DV history, but left the conversation by telling her: “Just leave the area if you are worried about him coming back. Last thing all these nice little families down here having a wonderful Sunday afternoon want to deal with is people fighting … so start walking, off you go.”

An internal police review noted the attending officers accused the deceased of lying, spoke to her in a condescending tone, showed no empathy and did little to inquire into what had really happened. The officers were formally counselled.

The 20-year-old was killed at Jingili Water Gardens in December 2020. Picture: Che Chorley

In a separate report, the Coroner detailed the brutal death of a 47-year-old mum of four on January 17, 2022, at a bush camp in Karama.

Her partner – who also had a long DV history in his previous relationship – reported her death but claimed to have no knowledge of how she sustained her widespread injuries.

He took his own life before any charges were laid.

Police systems recorded 12 domestic violence incidents in the pair’s relationship between December 2016 and August 2020, and a reciprocal DVO which expired in February 2020.

Along with multiple police oversights, the Coroner noted several possible red flags missed by health workers, with no evidence of social work support offered to the victim.

For example in December 2019 she walked into a community health clinic crying, reporting verbal abuse from her partner.

The woman left the clinic without notice of staff and there was no follow up.