Bronwyn podcast: Police came under fire from coroner Carl Milovanovich

The NSW police investigation into the disappearance and suspected murder of Lennox Head mother-of-two Bronwyn Winfield was criticised by the state’s former deputy state coroner.

Former NSW deputy state coroner Carl Milovanovich criticised the early police investigation into Bronwyn Winfield’s disappearance.

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The NSW police investigation into the disappearance and suspected murder of Lennox Head mother Bronwyn Winfield was criticised by the state’s former deputy state coroner.

Carl Milovanovich said there would have been far more reliable evidence if the original lead detective assigned to investigate the mystery of Bronwyn vanishing from the northern NSW town almost 32 years ago had taken the case “more seriously”.

The experienced coroner’s negative view of the initial police investigation led by then detective sergeant Graeme Diskin is revealed in inquest transcripts obtained by The Australian’s investigative podcast Bronwyn.

Sergeant Diskin did not give evidence at Mr Milovanovich’s 2002 inquest into Bronwyn’s disappearance because he was on ­extended sick leave.

“There are many questions, I’m sure, that we would all like to ask him,” Mr Milovanovich said during the inquest.

The coroner said he did not want to be “too critical of him (Sergeant Diskin) in his absence, which is perhaps unfair”. But there were critical gaps in the original investigation that could not be ignored. No witness statements had been taken at the time, with notes instead kept in police “running sheets” or logs.

Forensic evidence was not collected from the family home Bronwyn shared with her estranged husband Jon Winfield, or from the couple’s car that was potentially used to remove her body.

Bronwyn and Jon Winfield with their daughter Lauren.

“It’s certainly apparent to me, even at this stage of the inquest, that had this disappearance been treated a little bit more seriously by Sergeant Diskin, and perhaps if notations were made in running sheets which reflected more accurately direct conversation, rather than perhaps what might be perceived as being summaries of what people may or may not have said, that evidence would have been far more reliable than the evidence we’re relying on here,” the coroner said.

“But I think it also should be remembered that this case doesn’t necessarily swing on the abilities or inabilities of Sergeant Diskin. There are many other questions a lot of other witnesses still have to answer in these proceedings.”

Matt Fordham, the police officer assisting the coroner, told the inquest Sergeant Diskin had a medical certificate and “may not be returning to work”.

Mr Fordham added: “He’s informed the officer in charge that he is unable to attend a police station and he’s unable to attend a courthouse. I’d like to see Sergeant Diskin give evidence in relation to a few things in this matter but I sadly don’t think that’s going to occur without a warrant issued by your worship.”

Retired detective sergeant Graeme Diskin.

The coroner said if the detective was seeking to be discharged as medically unfit “one may wonder how effective or reliable his evidence might be in any event”.

There was still another detective available, Wayne Temby, who worked with Sergeant Diskin on the case in 1993, speaking to Bronwyn’s friends, neighbours and family members together.

Mr Temby could have shed light on the shortfalls in the initial investigation and the failure to take a single formal witness statement. But the coroner and Mr Fordham agreed Mr Temby did not need to give evidence.

“He’s going to be relying on running sheets that were made nearly nine years ago,” the coroner said.

The Bronwyn podcast argues that with Sergeant Diskin not available to explain gaping holes in what should have been a serious murder investigation, Mr Temby should have been called.

Retired homicide detective Glenn Taylor began investigating the case in 1998 and has been highly critical of the police work, saying there was “very little done”.

Mr Taylor has said he still believes “it was in the senior officers’ mind that this woman had, in fact, just voluntarily decided to leave”.

At the conclusion of the inquest, Mr Milovanovich recommended Mr Winfield be prosecuted over Bronwyn’s alleged murder. The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions declined, citing insufficient evidence. Mr Winfield, now 70, has always denied any involvement.