Warning: This story contains the image and name of a deceased Indigenous person
Outraged victims’ rights groups are calling for harsher penalties for violent offenders after beloved Central Coast teenager Audrey Griffin was allegedly murdered by a stranger who was spared jail two months before her death, despite a history of domestic abuse and restraining order breaches.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said “very serious” questions would be asked about why Adrian Noel Torrens was placed on a community corrections order, vowing to seek answers for 19-year-old Griffin’s family.
Audrey Griffin was allegedly murdered walking home from a night out with friends in March.
Torrens, 53, who was found dead inside his prison cell on Thursday afternoon, was placed on the order in January after pleading guilty to one count each of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and contravening a domestic apprehended violence order in October last year. He was in 2020 sentenced to a prison term for a slew of violent offending after breaching a community corrections order imposed months earlier.
“I don’t have answers to it now,” Minns said, after the revelations Torrens was allowed to remain in the community despite his violent history were published by the Herald.
“But as soon as we have answers, we’ll report them to the family.”
Griffin’s mother, Kathleen Kirby, said the decision to spare Torrens a custodial sentence was “just wrong”.
Adrian Noel Torrens had been spared jail for violent offending months before he allegedly murdered Audrey Griffin.
“The system is just appalling,” she told the Herald.
“He’s gone and [allegedly] murdered someone when he should be behind bars.”
The decision by Judge Michael Allen, the Chief Magistrate of NSW, to impose a noncustodial sentence has also frustrated victims rights’ advocates who’ve long campaigned for better protections for women.
The Homicide Victims Support Group called for an immediate review into supervision orders imposed on violent repeat offenders, and expressed concern that domestic violence was not being taken seriously.
“What more will it take for our judiciary, who are tasked with protecting our community, to agree that zero tolerance is the only decision with these violent repeat offenders?” deputy chair Corinne Lindsell said.
“The death of Torrens while in custody now means Audrey’s family will be denied their chance at justice. They are left with not only the grief of loss but the ongoing anguish of unanswered questions.”
Lindsell said the community deserved answers around the decisions made before Griffin’s death.
Griffin’s mother, Kathleen Kirby (left), says her daughter was let down by the justice system.
“Audrey’s family deserves better,” she said.
Another victims’ advocate, Howard Brown, said Torrens’ “lenient” sentence showed it was “obvious that no one is listening”.
“If you keep releasing these guys and punishing them with a feather, why are we then all of a sudden surprised when someone ends up dead?” he said.
The NSW government toughened bail laws for serious domestic violence offenders after widespread fury over the death of Molly Ticehurst last April. Her former partner, Daniel Billings, who had been released on bail for allegedly sexually assaulting her, has been charged with her murder.
But Brown, who has supported victims of violent crimes and their families for more than 30 years, said not enough changes had been implemented throughout the justice system to address domestic violence across the country.
“We can talk as much as we like about being serious about domestic violence,” Brown said.
“But clearly penalties remain inadequate, and in this case of [Torrens], clearly the penalty was inadequate because it’s [allegedly] manifested itself in further violence.”
Acting Attorney-General Ron Hoenig said he had requested transcripts of Torrens’ most recent court appearances, including the decision to impose a community corrections order.
He said community safety was the state government’s highest priority and that any recommendations from a coronial inquest into Griffin’s death would be strongly considered.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said “very serious” questions will be asked about why Torrens was placed on a community corrections order.Credit: Steven Siewert
Griffin’s death was “part of a clear national pattern of violence against women”, Our Watch chief executive Patty Kinnersly said.
“In so many of these cases, including this one, there is a history of men’s violence against women – patterns of abuse that too often go unchecked until they end in tragedy,” she said.
“This is not about isolated incidents or ‘monsters’. It is about systems that fail to intervene early enough, and social conditions that allow violence to occur.”
Piper Yanz, a childhood friend of Griffin, said the teenager’s death could have been prevented if the justice system “had done what it was meant to do”.
“He never should have been in the position to be able to [allegedly] take our friend’s life,” she said.
Minns vowed to provide the Griffin’s family answers around her death, and the decision to impose a supervision order on Torrens, adding that violence against women was “never tolerated, it’s never condoned, it’s never brushed under the carpet”.
“It’s terrible that this injustice has taken place, but clearly the NSW government and the NSW Police will do everything they possibly can to give answers to that family, although nothing will bring back Audrey and nothing will assuage the loss that they’re going through today,” he said.
“I can understand why many women would be concerned today. This isn’t the first and these horrifying acts of violence send a real chill into the community. Police will do everything they can to keep the community safe … we’ll do whatever we can do ensure that those that commit these kinds of acts are arrested and that the full force of the law is brought against them.”
Up to a thousand people are on Sunday expected to protest over the death of Griffin and 22 other women killed by violence this year, at a Gosford rally co-organised by What Were You Wearing Australia.
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