NT police says potentially ‘armed, violent and mentally ill’ on-run offender Kevin Gurruwiwi ‘does not’ pose risk to public
NT police top brass do not believe a violent offender who escaped from custody ‘poses a risk to the general public’ despite police on the ground being warned the individual may be armed and violent.
Northern Territory police top brass say they do not believe a serious violent offender who escaped from custody on Tuesday night “poses a risk to the general public” despite police on the ground searching for the individual warned he may be armed, violent and mentally ill.
NT Police Media on Wednesday morning said Kevin Gurruwiwi, who also goes by the name of Kevin Yunupingu, absconded through a window from the Forensic Disability Cottages at Darwin Correctional Centre on Tuesday evening before cutting off his ankle monitoring bracelet.
After failing to locate the 21-year-old overnight, NT police called upon the public to help locate the 21-year-old in a carefully worded press release, but have failed to publish the litany of violent offending which has resulted in over 150 charges before the youth courts.
The Australian is restricted under law from detailing the nature of the serious offences Yunupingu has been before the courts on of because he was a youth at the time of his offending.
A spokesman for the NT Department of Corrections said Mr Gurruwiwi absconded from the Forensic Disability Unit which, while located on the grounds of Darwin Correctional Centre, is not a Department of Corrections Facility and therefore he was not under the custody of the department.
In a statement released 12 hours after his escape, police said Mr Gurruwiwi was last seen at 7pm during routine bed checks. Less than an hour later, corrective services staff were alerted to his monitoring device being removed.
“While police do not believe he poses a risk to the general public, members of the community are advised not to approach him,” the police media release said.
The message to the public was in stark contrast to that given to police on the ground searching for the man who has a psychotic disorder, foetal alcohol syndrome disorder, ADHD on top of his serious violent criminal history.
They have also been warned he is violent and he is known to carry weapons. A previous charge of escape lawful custody was dropped in April 2024.
It is a further blow to Territory police after commissioner Michael Murphy was found on February 28 by the NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption of improper conduct involving negligence and incompetence.
NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said Mr Murphy’s position was “untenable” following revelations he chaired a panel that appointed a close friend to a senior position in the force but on Monday she argued a substantial process affording him “natural justice” must be completed before the search for a permanent replacement could begin.
Under his contract, believed to be worth at least $400,000 a year, Mr Murphy is entitled to six months’ pay on termination, although this may be challenged given the finding against him by the NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption of improper conduct involving negligence and incompetence.
However, with no obvious candidate for the role in sight, the NT government is facing an embarrassing repeat of its stand-off with ICAC commissioner Michael Riches, who has been on indefinite leave for nine months following an investigation into allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” and is still pocketing an annual salary of almost $500,000.
Deputy Commissioner Martin Dole, a 29-year veteran of the force, has been appointed acting police commissioner but is considered unlikely to score the permanent role.
On Monday Ms Finocchiaro revealed that Mr Dole was on the panel that Mr Murphy chaired when it appointed Mr Murphy’s friend, now assistant commissioner, Peter Kennon, which was the subject of ICAC’s Operation Apollo investigation.
ICAC’s original statement about Operation Apollo on February 28 noted “one of the other panel members acted as a second referee” but Ms Finocchiaro said she had become aware that Mr Dole was on the panel “just this morning”.
Ms Finocchiaro said Mr Dole was not the subject of any findings by Operation Apollo. “I can only deal with what’s in front of me, and ultimately, as deputy, his role is to act up. I’ve got full confidence in his ability to do that, and we need stability across the force,” she told Darwin’s Mix 104.9.
Mr Dole addressed the issue at a press conference on Monday, saying: “As the acting deputy director at the time it was totally appropriate that I was on that panel … As a senior executive of the NT Police Force I was listed as a referee for more than one of the applicants. I did not provide a personal reference for any applicant.”
He rejected calls for an independent review into the toxic culture of the NT Police Force.
The Australian is not suggesting any wrongdoing by Mr Dole or Mr Kennon.
If you have a story or wish to contact the author confidentially, email liam.mendes@protonmail.com or message 0423 456 893 on Signal or WhatsApp.
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