Police officer involved in Jai Wright crash death in similar bike collision three months prior

A police officer involved in the pursuit of the slain Indigenous teen was involved in a similar collision with a bike only a few months before the 16-year-old was killed.

The aftermath of the collision between Jai Wright and an unmarked cop car on February 19 2022 in Eveleigh, Sydney. Picture: Julian Andrews

A police officer involved in the death of slain Indigenous teen Jai Wright in 2022 was involved in a similar collision with a bike only a few months before an unmarked police car hit the trail bike the 16-year-old was riding, killing him.

It comes as NSW Police attempted to move parts of Jai’s inquest into closed court, described by state coroner magistrate Teresa O’Sullivan as an “extremely serious step”, which was promptly rejected.

Jai – immortalised at a packed funeral at Sydney’s Town Hall in March 2022 – was killed when the trail bike he was riding was hit by an unmarked police car in Eveleigh, Sydney. The Indigenous 16-year-old died at hospital a day later.

On Wednesday, at the NSW State Coroner’s Court in Sydney’s southwest, a directions hearing was heard between solicitors representing the Wright family and NSW Police.

It comes before an expected 14-day inquest hearing in the same coroner’s court in January and February.

The court heard on Wednesday how one of the three officers involved in Jai’s death had, in December 2021, been involved in a previous collision with a bicycle.

A ‘reluctant sportsman’, but a very good one, Jai Wright played soccer for Enfield Allstars. Picture: Supplied

Reading from the issues list, assisting counsel Peggy Dwyer said the inquest should examine whether the sergeant should have been referred to a safe driving panel after that collision, and whether it should have resulted in immediate changes to the sergeant’s driving certification.

Similarly, the Wright family – of which Jai’s parents and siblings were in attendance – successfully sought redacted copies of NSW Police’s safe driving policy to provide to an racial bias expert.

The court heard how, upon police sighting Jai on the bike, which police allege he had stolen earlier that morning, there was reference to an “Indigenous male”, although a solicitor representing the force said there was no suggestion racial bias was relevant in the case.

The Wright family, their solicitor told the court, had not formed a whole-family view on that, but wanted an expert to be involved regardless.

Solicitors representing the police had filed a motion to move certain parts of next year’s inquest into closed court.

They had sought that any sensitive information that pertained to the police safe driving policy – a manual and guideline describing how police should and should not engage in pursuits – should not be heard in open court, given the “serious adverse consequences to the public” if parts of it became known.

Jai’s father Lachlan (right) and his grandfather Daryl (back left) at the 16-year-old’s funeral in March 2022. Picture: Julian Andrews

The submission, opposed by Ms Dwyer, was described as “effectively a suppression order” by the assisting counsel, who said the submission did not tip the scales of balance out of favour of open justice.

“The principle of open justice is important and shouldn’t be easily displaced,” she said.

Speaking outside of court, Jai’s father Lachlan Wright said the family were “shocked” to hear one of the officers involved in his son’s death was involved in a similar incident a few months prior.

“I’ve said from the beginning, all we want is truth to be told and justice is service,” he said.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb. Picture: David Swift

Mr Wright said Jai’s death was the “most difficult thing” the family had gone through and his absence would be felt acutely again during the Christmas period.

“But we always share his stories, we all remember, he lives through all of us,” Mr Wright said.

In June 2023, the Director of Public Prosecutions told the Wright family no charges would be laid in relation to Jai’s death.

Heard in court and enclosed in the seven-point issues list, the family now seek consideration as to whether there are any grounds for a referral of the officers involved, under section 82 and 78 of the Coroners Act 2009.

The 16-year-old was riding the trail bike at the time and hit a ramp, crashing into the front of the police car.

The details of the incident remain uncertain or not disclosed.

Jai and the other boy were wanted in relation to incidents in Woollahra and Dulwich Hill earlier in the morning.

The second boy was found guilty, without proceeding to conviction, of aggregated breaking and entering, stealing a vehicle and trespassing, and released on a 12-month probation at a children’s court last June.

The police will have a seven-day period from Wednesday to appeal Magistrate O’Sullivan’s order, before the full inquest will start on January 29.