‘He said he’s not going far’: Wieambilla widow’s heartbreaking triple-0 call

Audio has been released of Kerry Dare's triple-0 call as her husband, Alan, left to investigate gunshots and a fire lit at the Train’s Wieambilla property.

A triple-0 call taker told the wife of Wieambilla victim Alan Dare they should not investigate explosions and black smoke coming from a neighbouring property, saying she “absolutely advised” against it.

The inquest on Wednesday heard Mr Dare filmed his own death, having taken out his phone to film when he and Mr Lewis discovered a police car on fire at the front gate of the Wains Rd property.

Kerry Dare told the hearing she and Alan were having coffee at a table outside when they heard gunshots.

“I remember hearing up to six single gunshots,” she said.

Alan Dare.

She said they heard a yelp, which they thought was someone shooting a dog.

“There was what sounded like a semi automatic,” she said.

“It was very regular in the area for people to be letting off shots (but) that was the first time I’d heard that (a semiautomatic).”

Mrs Dare said they then heard loud explosions and saw “lots of black smoke”.

“It smelled different. It didn’t smell like grass, no,” she said.

Widow Kerry Dare at her home on her property on Wains Road, Wieambilla. Picture: Liam Kidston

The inquest was played two recordings of a triple-0 call where Mrs Dare reported hearing shots from a neighbouring property “for the last half-hour or so”.

“But there’s been two big bangs in the last ten minutes,” Mrs Dare told the call taker.

“Not gunshots. And now there’s a burning smell and there’s smoke in the air.

“We’re in the bush but it doesn’t smell like grass fire.”

The call taker asks: “In the Wains Rd area?”

Mrs Dare responds: “In the Wains Rd area, yeah.”

On the call, Mrs Dare tells the operator her husband had taken the quad bike to the top of the drive to get a better look.

Mr Dare returns while she is still on the phone.

In the second recording, Mrs Dare tells the operator her husband was about to collect a neighbour to go investigate.

The operator responds: “I am going to absolutely advise against that.”

Mrs Dare told the operator her husband was “just going to the top of the road, to the top of the hill” and wasn’t going too far.

Victor Lewis (centre) leaves the Brisbane Coroners Court after giving evidence. Picture: Dan Peled

She told the inquest her husband had already left by the time the operator advised them to not go outside. Mrs Dare said the drive to the Trains’ property was only about 600m or two minutes.

“They had gone,” Mrs Dare said.

“She should have done it quicker. He was gone. He got into the car and he left and then she said ‘I advise you not to go’.”

Minutes later Victor Lewis came back to their home, after Alan had been shot.

“He said Al is in a bad way, he threw me the phone and he left again,” Mrs Dare told the inquest.

Mrs Dare said she would “definitely” have told her husband to come back if the triple-0 operator had told her people had been wounded or shot at the Wains Rd property.

Originally published as ‘He said he’s not going far’: Wieambilla widow’s heartbreaking triple-0 call