Wieambilla Inquest day 2: Surviving officer Randall Kirk gives evidence
The operator who spent hours on a call with one of the Wieambilla police officers gave her the code words “pink and blue” to help her narrow escape. FOLLOW DAY 2
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Wieambilla survivor Constable Keely Brough was given the code words “pink and blue” to indicate when it was safe for her to break from her hiding spot and make a run towards a rescue team, the inquest has heard.
A marathon inquest into the murders of police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, Good Samaritan Alan Dare and the shooting deaths of Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train began in Brisbane yesterday.
The two constables were killed by the trio within two minutes of their arrival at the Trains’ Western Downs property on December 12, 2022.
Constables Arnold and McCrow, along with Const Randall Kirk and Const Brough were there to conduct a missing persons inquiry but instead were ambushed by the Trains, who had set up sniper hides to lay in wait for police, who they considered to be the enemy.
In emotional testimony, Toowoomba based Triple-0 call taker Katherine Beilby described feeling “helpless” during her two hours and three minutes on the phone with the terrified constable.
The inquest has previously heard Const Brough hid in grass just eight inches high, with the Trains lighting the bush on fire in an effort to flush her out.
Const Brough told Ms Beilby the fires had burnt right up to her feet but she could not run because she was being hunted by the gunmen who just killed her colleagues.
The inquest heard at times Const Brough would whisper down the phone line because the killers were very close. Ms Beilby would whisper back.
Ms Beilby said she tried to reassure Const Brough, with the inquest hearing the young police officer told her she thought she was about to die.
“My feeling was, I didn’t want to put Keely in any more danger and just wanted her to remain where she was and keep her as calm and positive as possible and to let her know, we are there for you,” she said.
Ms Beilby said at one point she told Const Brough to remain on the line so she could speak with the police communications co-ordinator (ComCo).
“I had said to Keely, I need to speak to the ComCo. Do not hang up. This is when the fire was nearby, very close to Keely.
“I wanted some advice. I felt helpless.
“I said (to the ComCo) this fire is very close to Keely. She can feel it through her shoes, through her feet. What should I tell her?
“He couldn’t give me any advice.”
She said at some point during the ordeal, she was told to instruct Const Brough to listen for the code words “pink and blue”.
That code would indicate that a rescue team of police officers was in place to guide her out.
“The dispatcher said, tell Keely when she hears pink and blue, make a run for it,” Ms Beilby said.
“Shortly after the code did come through and Keely did run for safety.”
Dr Ian Freckleton, legal counsel for the Commissioner of Police Steve Gollschewski, addressed Ms Beilby.
“I’d like to express him to you, in public, his appreciation for your extraordinary calmness, compassion and professionalism that day,” he said.
“Not only did you make a difference but you may well have saved a life. Thank you very much.”
MOMENT SNIPERS UNLEASHED ON COPS
Constable Randall Kirk has told an inquest how he took refuge behind a tree, peering out intermittently as the two gunmen who’d just killed his colleagues searched for him.
Giving evidence at the inquest, Const Kirk said he and Constable Keely Brough were tasked to visit the Wains Rd property on December 12, 2022, when they clocked on for the afternoon shift at Chinchilla station.
Const Kirk said he called Constable Rachel McCrow, from Tara station, and arranged for the two crews to meet at the start of the road.
The inquest heard the two cars parked by the front gate, with the four officers jumping over and walking down the long drive.
Upon arriving to the property, as they walked up the driveway, the inquest was told Const Kirk could be heard on the footage saying:
“Do you see there is an arrest warrant for this fella (Nathaniel Train)?”
When asked about the conversation Const Kirk told the inquest that he couldn’t recall anyone saying anything or making any gestures after he raised it.
Moments after raising the warrant with other officers the first shot was fired by the Trains, fatally wounding Const Arnold.
Constable Kirk said he would normally raise that sort of information when going to a job to help others.
Const Kirk said the first shot came as a shock as they hadn’t seen anybody on the property.
He agreed he became aware later that at least one of the gunmen had fired from a “hide” - a sniper dugout hidden by tree branches.
“Almost immediately after that first shot, the body worn camera footage depicts you saying ‘get back, get back’,” counsel assisting the coroner Ruth O’Gorman KC said.
“I recall myself going behind a tree. I don’t recall where Keely Brough went. I could see where Rachel was,” Const Kirk said.
The officer said he ran to one tree, then made his way to another, saying there were few places to hide.
Ms O’Gorman took him through conversations he had with Sergeant Justin Drier, who he called after twice attempting to use the police radio.
Ms O’Gorman said body-worn footage captured him saying “urgent, urgent, urgent, shots fired” before using his mobile phone when that didn’t work.
She said he could be heard saying things like “f*** I think he just killed her” and “f*** sake he’s just retreated”.
The court heard Const Kirk told his sergeant there were “two officers down”, that he couldn’t see Const Brough and that “Rachel is rolling”.
“I can see her, she’s rolling around,” Const Kirk said on the phone.
Const Kirk told the court he heard more shots as he hid behind the tree.
“I recall dropping, laying on my stomach,” he told the court.
“I remember getting to the tree. I remember scanning to try and get eyes on Keely and Rachel and I don’t recall seeing anyone initially.
“I don’t recall where the shots came from.
“I was constantly scanning around the tree to try to see where Keely was as well as the status of Matt. To my observations he just wasn’t moving.”
He said Const McCrow was about 20-30m away “rolling around screaming out”.
“Did one of the shooters go over to Const Arnold’s position at some point?” Ms O’Gorman asked.
“I just recall him taking his Glock off him,” Const Kirk said.
“He (Gareth) took Const Arnold’s firearm to Nathaniel.
“He ran over to him and then I went back behind my cover.”
Const Kirk said he then saw Gareth execute Const McCrow.
“I saw him walk up to Const McCrow, they exchanged words and then he fatally shot her.”
Const Kirk said he fired a shot from his gun but did not fire another because he believed he was out of range.
He told the court he did not fire before Const McCrow was killed because she was “in the line of fire”.
Neighbour Mr Dare was killed by the Trains when he saw smoke coming from their property and came to investigate.
Nathaniel, a former school principal, had been reported missing to NSW Police, who had asked their Queensland counterparts to look for him at the property of his brother Gareth.
Gareth was married to Stacey, who had previously been married to Nathaniel.
He said after he fired his Glock he could see Gareth Train “swaying from side to side”, moving his head trying to hear the area it came from.
Const Kirk said he remembered speaking with Sgt Drier, with the senior officer telling him how he had to look after himself.
He said he didn’t believe he had an alternative than running from the property after speaking with the sergeant about leaving.
Const Kirk said he remembered the moment he ran for the front gate, between the trees and the bushline to protect himself with cover.
“Do you recall whether at the time you could hear shots?” Ms O’Gorman asked.
“Yes,” Const Kirk said.
“And what could you hear?
“Shots,” Const Kirk said.
“And were they loud?” Ms O’Gorman asked.
“Yes,” Const Kirk said.
“Were they near you?” Ms O’Gorman asked.
“I don’t know,” Const Kirk responded.
“Did you have any sense if they were shots were being fired randomly or whether they were targeted and aimed at you?” Ms O’Gorman asked.
“I don’t,” Const Kirk responded.
After jumping the gate and getting into the car Const Kirk said he knew he had been hit but told the court he doesn’t know at what stage or time.
The inquest was told the officer had been to the Wains Rd address in August that year.
He said he remembered the gate was locked and his colleague Const Nathan Rigg left a card in the letterbox. The two then left after a few minutes.
HOW COP-HATING KILLERS HUNTED DOWN OFFICER
Terrifying footage of a young police officer running to his car while being hunted by the gunmen who had moments earlier murdered his colleagues has been released by a court.
Footage captured on the body worn camera of Constable Randall Kirk during the Wieambilla massacre shows the police officer running for his life as members of the Train family - a trio of conspiracy theorists who had a hatred for police - fired at him.
The footage captures the phone call Const Kirk made to his sergeant when his police radio failed to work due to a lack of reception.
He had just seen his colleague, Const Arnold, fatally shot, followed by Const McCrow.
Hiding behind a tree, Const Kirk asked for backup and calmly reported the deaths of his colleagues.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Ruth O’Gorman KC, told the inquest that Const Kirk fired a single shot from his Glock which gave away his position.
The Trains were later killed by Special Emergency Response Team officers after a lengthy standoff.
Yesterday, for day one of the inquest heard Constable Kirk was forced to hide behind a tree while the Trains fired at him, he later escaped after fleeing.
SON APPEARS AT INQUEST
The son of Nathaniel and Stacey Train has asked an investigating officer whether it would have made any difference to the events that unfolded at Wieambilla had he reported his uncle for making threats and keeping illegal firearms.
Aidan Train, who is self represented at the inquest, asked Ethical Standards Command Detective Inspector Suzanne Newton her opinion on whether it would have created a “flag” for police attending the property.
“Just in relation to the threats that Gareth had made towards me and whether that resulted in any flags, should I have filed an AVO (apprehended violence order)?” he asked.
“Detective Inspector Newton - do you have an opinion as to whether that would have created a flag if I was to have reported to police that Gareth had had threatened me and (if I) was successful in filing an AVO and disclosing that he had illegal firearms as well?”
Det Insp Newton said she believed it would have made a difference.
“If you were successful in obtaining an AVO and you had knowledge that he had illegal firearms - yes it would have,” she said.
NO SERIOUS FLAGS FOR TRAINS
The inquest was told that on previous visits to the Train property officers did not jump the fence.
Det Insp Newton said on the day the officers were tasked that it was a “missing person welfare check” and that jumping the fence was within policy.
The inquest was also told there had been eight previous “shots fired” reports on six occasions relating to the area, however no reports were entered into the QPRIME police computer system.
One of the reports was made on December 2, the inquest heard.
Det Insp Newton said four officers were sent to the address because it was approaching dusk and it was a rural area.
She agreed that if the shots fired reports were on the system it would have been a flag for the officers attending on the day of the tragedy.
Det Insp Newton said there was nothing within computer systems showing any serious flags for the Trains.
HE WOULD SHOOT AT PLANES
The inquest yesterday also heard about some of the deluded dreams of the Train trio including how police had found videos of Gareth Train shooting at planes.
“He was talking about how low they were, he was talking about them basically flying over, being ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation), flying over, spying on him,” the inquest heard.
Continuing her evidence on Tuesday, Detective Inspector Suzanne Newton said the shooting at plane videos were made in the weeks before the Wieambilla tragedy.
The first video was on November 21, 2022, at 12.31pm in which two gunshots were fired.
The following day at 6.47am a video was made with one gunshot fired at a plane.
On November 23, one gunshot was fired at 9.37am.
A day later one gunshot was fired at a plane at 9.06am and two gunshots were fired at 9.46am.
Det Insp Newton said police had established that sniper hides had been at the Trains’ property since at least October 2022.
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Originally published as Wieambilla Inquest day 2: Surviving officer Randall Kirk gives evidence
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