NT Police’s domestic violence response probed at inquest into former officer’s 2020 death

NT Police did not investigate one of their own after his partner died of head injuries following ‘many reports of domestic disturbances and violence’, a court has heard.

NT POLICE did not investigate one of their own after his partner, herself a former police officer, died of head injuries following “many reports of domestic disturbances and violence” over a period of five years, a court has heard.

The hearing began on Monday after Territory Coroner Greg Cavanagh called the inquest to probe the force’s handling of domestic violence complaints made against fellow officers. Mr Cavanagh ordered that the names of both officers be suppressed from publication.

Deputy Coroner Kelvin Currie told the court the woman had developed an alcohol dependency due to post traumatic stress disorder following the death of her infant child in 2011.

Mr Currie said her alcoholism impacted her relationship with her partner and led to 17 reports of domestic disturbances being made to police between 2015 and her death in March last year.

He said prior to the woman’s death, her partner’s “volatility” had been noted in the workplace.

“From time to time, when he is under stress, he has acted aggressively and abusively towards others at work where he has lost control,” one of his managers said.

“It concerns me because in front of me and other managers he is this calm, very helpful bloke, yet there is this volatility.”

On March 4 last year, the woman was at home with a headache when her partner arrived at about 1pm and found her asleep on the couch and while she did not smell of alcohol, he was unable to rouse her.

Mr Currie said she then woke up at about 4pm and “appeared to be hallucinating”.

“She was trying to plug her phone cord into open sockets and was incoherent,” he said.

“She walked into a wall and her feet and legs just kept going as if walking. She was in the hallway and thought she was in the shower and was making gestures as if to turn the taps on.”

Mr Currie said her partner took her to the shower and put her to bed but she fell out twice and when he checked on her at about 3am she was unresponsive.

An ambulance was called but she was pronounced dead at about 4.16am.

“It was noted in the hospital notes that she had multiple bruises of varying ages over her body including her arms, legs, hands, chest, right breast and periorbital,” Mr Currie said.

“A crime scene was not set up by police.”

The inquest continues on Tuesday.

Follow @jas_walls