Vest ‘unlikely’ to have saved police shot at Wieambilla

Body armour was unlikely to have saved at least one officer killed in the shooting deaths of six people at a remote property, an inquest has been told.

Queensland Coroner Terry Ryan resumed the Wieambilla shootings inquest in Brisbane on Wednesday after a seven-day break without hearings.

Brothers Nathaniel, 46, and Gareth Train, 47, used high-powered rifles during an ambush to kill Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, at a remote property west of Brisbane, late in the afternoon of December 12, 2022.

Arnold and McCrow were not wearing bullet-resistant vests at the time, and had yet to be issued with new police integrated load-bearing vests that can be fitted with soft armour ballistic panels.

Ethical standards command Detective Inspector Jason Hindmarsh, the senior officer who investigated the shootings, was asked if Arnold, the first person to be shot, would have survived if he wore an integrated vest with soft armour panels.

“I can’t say. Soft armour is not designed to withstand that calibre,” Hindmarsh said.

Equipment found at the Train family property in Wieambilla.Credit: AAP

Ryan previously heard evidence that Nathaniel hid in a concealed sniper’s position and opened fire on Arnold with a Tikka T3 bolt-action rifle with .30-06 calibre bullets.

The Queensland Police Union’s barrister Justin Greggery asked if a new integrated vest with hard armour panels, designed for situations needing greater protection from firearms and edged weapons, would have saved Arnold’s life.

“They are also not designed to stop that calibre,” Hindmarsh said.

Police had started distributing the new integrated load-bearing vests to officers in January 2021, but the full rollout of 11,200 vests would not be complete until the end of 2024, Ryan heard.

Hindmarsh said there had been supply issues and officers deemed at higher risk of armed attack had been prioritised along with Wieambilla being placed “at the top, effectively” of the list.

Nathaniel joined Gareth and his sibling’s wife Stacey, 45, to fatally shoot neighbour Alan Dare, 58, shortly after killing the two constables.

The Trains were shot dead by specialist police officers hours later after they refused to negotiate or surrender.

Police investigators found McCrow, along with her fellow officers Randall Kirk and Keely Brough, had tried to call for back-up during the ambush using their radios but were unable to get through.

Hindmarsh said Wieambilla was surrounded by police radio blackspots and the officers did not know which radio channel to select to get the best coverage in that area.

He said officers now received additional radio training.

Police weapons licensing group Inspector Cameron Barwick was due to give evidence about opportunities to increase efficiency and public safety around weapons legislation and licensing reforms.

Ryan previously heard the Trains possessed registered and unregistered firearms, including a rifle and shotgun with illegally shortened stocks and barrels.

Nathaniel’s Queensland firearms licence had been revoked due to him dumping several weapons while crossing the NSW border.

AAP