Wieambilla police massacre inquest starts in Brisbane today
The Covid-19 pandemic is believed to have been a “trigger for some” of the events in the Wieambilla massacre where a trio of conspiracy theorists gunned down two cops and a Good Samaritan. SEE HOW DAY 1 OF THE INQUEST UNFOLDED
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A trio of educators turned cop killers posted chilling messages online warning police could face execution, a marathon inquest into the Wieambilla massacre has heard.
Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were killed by the trio of conspiracy theorists on December 12, 2022, when they and two other officers approached the Train family home to conduct a missing persons inquiry.
Neighbour Alan Dare was also murdered when he saw smoke and came to investigate.
Stacey Train resigned as the head of curriculum at Tara Primary School in December 2021, stating that she refused to comply with the vaccine mandate due to her personal beliefs.
Gareth, who had various roles at Education Queensland, had not been employed in the leadup to the shootings.
The inquest was told the pair were not seen around Wieambilla much in the year before the shootings.
Ms O’Gorman said in January 2020 the Covid 19 public health emergency was declared, which continued into 2022.
“Covid-19 it seems in many ways to have been a trigger for some of the events which occurred,” she said.
Nathaniel appeared to adopt some of those theories in August that year, Ms O’Gorman said.
In November 2020, Nathaniel sent an email to Gareth questioning the events of the Port Arthur massacre.
Gareth also posted a chilling message online on September 14, 2020.
“Any and all who raise arms against the people of Australia will pay with their lives just as the Nazis paid in the end,” he wrote.
“Be warned QPS, you all have a choice to make to be on the right side or execution after.”
The inquest was told Nathaniel, when principal at Walgett Community School in New South Wales, suffered a heart attack in August 2021.
“While he was in hospital, he, Gareth and Stacey had a conversation recorded, in which Nathaniel spoke about dreams in which he fought police,” Ms O’Gorman told the inquest.
“And both Gareth and Nathaniel spoke about shooting police to travel through Covid-19 checkpoints.”
After his heart attack, Nathaniel did not return to work and cut ties with people in the area.
Months later in December 2021, Nathaniel illegally crossed the New South Wales-Queensland border, a day after Stacey’s school resignation. He damaged a gate at the crossing and dumped guns.
Ethical Standards Command Detective Inspector Suzanne Newton said an examination of devices had found five videos of Gareth Train shooting at planes.
She said in the videos you could hear gunshots and see the gun pointing towards the aircraft.
Insp Newton said two voices on the videos had been identified as Gareth and Nathaniel Train.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority was contacted by police but no aircraft relating to the videos could be found.
“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,” Insp Newton told the inquest.
INSIDE THE TRAIN FAMILY PROPERTY
The inquest was shown photographs of one of three “hides” constructed by the Trains.
Ethical Standards Command Detective Inspector Suzanne Newton told the hearing spent cartridges were found inside what investigators referred to as “hide one”.
The photographs showed a dugout area with a view of the front gate and driveway. It is believed the first shots at the four officers were fired from here.
The dugout had a camper trailer-styled tent and a chair with shortened legs, set up to give the shooter a perfect view of the opening.
Det Insp Newton said police found a book - The Godfather - and some weights and exercise equipment inside the hide.
The hole was hidden from view by dried branches and foliage.
She said the trees were tied with rope, pulling them down over the top of the hide.
Det Insp Newton also detailed how investigators found items belonging to the four officers around the property, with the court shown a chilling still image of Gareth Train removing the load baring vest from one of the slain officers.
Both vests were later found discarded among the trees.
Capsicum spray belonging to Const McCrow was found by the Train house front door and inside, in the living room area, was the first aid kit from one of the police vehicles and another taser.
Const McCrow’s handcuffs were found at the front gate.
Det Insp Newton also described a haul of military-type gear uncovered from the property. Photographs were shown of a mound of camouflage clothing, a ghillie suit, binoculars and knives.
Also uncovered were cardboard targets labelled with a range of distances.
”They are what we referred to as … practising targets,” she said.
She said one had bullet holes and the label “100m” and another with “150m”.
TRIO IGNORED ALL SURRENDER NEGOTIATION ATTEMPTS
Ms O’Gorman said all the Trains’ phones were switched off and they ignored multiple attempts to negotiate via loud speakers attached to armoured vehicles.
The inquest heard 19 highly trained officers from the Special Emergency Response Team, as well as several operatives in commander and intel roles, were involved in attempts to contain and secure the Wieambilla property.
She said a specialist police BearCat vehicle, and three other armoured vehicles were on the property by 9pm, with instructions given to shoot the trio if they attempted to escape.
”If they elected to surrender, their surrender was to be accommodated,” Ms O’Gorman said.
Footage taken from two police helicopters and an armoured vehicle was played to the court, showing rings of fire still burning on the property and the Train brothers in position - Nathaniel behind a log barricade outside the house and Gareth nearby behind a water tank.
Stacey was inside the house but emerged at times to fire a rifle at police vehicles.
Ms O’Gorman said shots were fired by the trio at Polair, as well as at the BearCat and armoured vehicles.
The footage at one point showed Stacey emerge from the house mid-siege carrying two cups that she placed on a table beside the house.
“Gareth and Stacey can be seen sitting at the table,” Ms O’Gorman said.
”While there, Gareth and Stacey recorded a video which was updated to YouTube.”
The video, which was played to the court, captured the couple’s faces in the dark.
”They came to kill us and we killed them,” Gareth says.
”If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward.”
Stacey then says: “We’ll see you when we get home.” And then: “We love you.”
Gareth says: “We’ll see you at home Don.”
Ms O’Gorman told the inquest “Don” was a man in America who shared similar views and “home” would appear to be a reference to seeing Don in the afterlife.
She said at one point, Gareth fired a shot at an armoured vehicle and then attempted to reload. Officers in that vehicle returned fire, hitting Gareth in the hip and head.
He fell and did not move again, Ms O’Gorman said.
She said Nathaniel continued to fire at the BearCat, while Stacey appeared at the top of the home’s front stairs to fire at police.
She retreated and emerged again, fired her weapon, and was shot by the same team that minutes earlier killed her husband.
”She sustained a single gunshot wound to the head,” Ms O’Gorman said.
Nathaniel, who was still behind the log barricade, fired at the BearCat using Const Arnold’s police glock that they’d taken from his body earlier.
He was shot three times, including in the head.
Ms O’Gorman said police officers attempted first aid on the Train brothers but they did not survive.
She said Stacey had died instantly.
SHARED PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS?
It would include Nathaniel’s treating psychologist David Burrell.
Dr Andrew Aboud, a clinical forensic psychiatrist, was asked to provide his opinion on the mental state of the Trains before and during the incident.
“Dr Aboud is likely to give evidence that in his expert opinion before and during the incident … Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel were experiencing symptoms of a shared psychotic disorder known as a folie à trois, whereby they had identical persecutory and religious beliefs that met the psychiatric definition for delusions,” she said.
“In Dr Aboud’s opinion, Gareth, who had a delusional disorder was the primary. That is the person who suffered a genuine primary psychotic illness, while Stacey and Nathaniel were secondaries.”
Professor Christian Gericke was also asked to provide an opinion on whether Nathaniel’s cardiac arrest in August 2021 had any lasting effect on his cognitive ability, Ms O’Gorman said.
She said his evidence was that an analysis of Nathaniel’s medical records had not revealed any evidence that the cardiac arrest caused a brain injury that could have caused emotional or behavioural dysfunction that could have explained his involvement in the shootings.
She said Prof Gericke had found the most plausible hypothesis was that Nathaniel started to develop an “acute psychotic illness with paranoid ideas of persecution and religious delusions” in late January 2022.
CONSTABLE FLEES FOR LIFE
The inquest heard both Const Kirk and Constable Keely Brough attempted to radio for help but were forced to use their mobile phones when there was not enough reception for the police radios to work.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Ruth O’Gorman KC told the inquest male voices could be heard on the body worn cameras of Constables Arnold and McCrow, who had at that time been killed, reacting to a shot fired by Const Kirk.
She said the shot he fired gave away his position where he was hiding behind a tree.
“That was a mistake boys,” one of the Train brothers could be heard shouting.
“Come out, come out and get on the f… ground or you die.”
In Const Kirk’s body worn footage, the officer can be heard calmly providing updates to Sergeant Justin Drier, who he had called on his mobile.
“He shot Rachel I believe,” he said.
“I think she’s dead. She shot him I think. He’s still walking.”
He then clarifies: “She shot at him.”
Const Kirk then tells his sergeant: “They’ve got Matthew now. F… sake.”
“Matt’s not moving. Rachel’s not moving now. Keely, I haven’t seen. What do you want me to do?”
Sgt Drier responds: “Look after yourself, buddy.”
The footage shows only grass in frame, with Const Kirk appearing to be crouched or laying low. He relays that there appears to be two shooters with a rifle and a pistol.
“He’s coming over,” Const Kirk can be heard saying.
“Should I run?”
Sgt Drier asks: “Do they know where you are?”
Const Kirk responds: “Yes they do.”
Sgt Drier asks whether he could run from tree to tree, with the constable replying: “I can try.”
The footage shows him, gun in hand, making a dash through sparse cover, saying “they’re coming - they’re shooting” as he ran.
Shots are fired as he jumps into the car and starts the engine.
He yells “f…” and screams as he is shot in the hip.
“I think I’ve been shot. Oh f… I think I’ve been shot. I can’t … I don’t know … they’ve got multiple shots to the window of the car.
“I had to drive away a bit. (I’ve) lost a shoe. I’ve got blood on my face. I don’t know where I’ve been shot.”
Ms O’Gorman said Const Kirk managed to escape under the guidance of his sergeant in circumstances where the shot he’d fired gave away his position.
She said he was “outmatched” with only a pistol against rifles and had fled in circumstances where there was a “dearth of cover between him and the shooters”.
Ms O’Gorman said the inquest would hear that the officers were told information about the Trains, including that there was an arrest warrant for Nathaniel for wilful damage and failing to secure weapons, in relation to him crossing the border a year earlier at Talwood and dumping guns.
She said he had no criminal history and had been a weapons licence holder with three registered firearms, although his licence had been revoked on August 2022.
Gareth Train had an offence of unlawful possession of weapons in 1998. No conviction was recorded by the court. He had no other criminal history.
There were no flags on him on the police system and he was not a weapons licence holder or known to have any firearms.
Stacey Train had no history or flags and also did not have a weapons licence.
After Nathaniel crossed at Talwood, QPS weapons revoked his weapons licence in August 2022.
He was to be served documents and a Be On the Look Out, known as a BOLO, was recorded on the police computer system QPRIME.
In August, the information was forwarded to Chinchilla police.
Constable Kirk with Constable Nathan Rigg went to the property owned by Gareth and Stacey, looking for Nathaniel, on August 5.
The gate was locked and a calling card was left.
On August 10, Constable Rigg returned and the card was still in the letterbox.
He tried calling the numbers for Stacey and Gareth two days later but could not reach them.
An arrest was later issued for Nathaniel.
In December 2022, after being told of his disappearance, NSW police created a missing persons report. It was later deemed high risk on December 5, due to Nathaniel having a cardiac condition.
On December 9, the information was shared with Queensland Police.
On December 10, Nathaniel’s son Aidan contacted Gareth about Nathaniel being reported as a missing person.
Gareth responded on December 10-11 including with negative comments about police.
An investigator in the NSW Police Force then contacted Queensland Police on December 12, asking for help.
‘THERE’S ONE MORE OUT THERE’
Ms O’Gorman also detailed the terrifying two-hour ordeal of Constable Keely Brough, who hid in grass just eight inches high as flames lit to flush her out came within a metre of her.
She said body-worn footage recorded by her fallen colleagues captured a man’s voice - one of the Train brothers - saying: “There’s one more out here.”
The inquest heard Const Brough called Triple-0 when her police radio would not work.”
“She says, ‘I think they know I’m here - I’m scared’,” Ms O’Gorman told the court.
“She knew they were looking for her.”
Ms O’Gorman said Const Brough described the gunmen as best she could, including that they wore camouflage and had rifles.
“At times she had to whisper because they were so close by and she believed they were about to find her,” she said.
“She thought she was going to die.”
She said Const Brough was able to relay when one of the gunmen approached the police car and set it on fire.
She then reported that one of the shooters continued to search for her as the other kept watch.
“After, she said she could hear and smell fire. (It was) 15m away from her at one point … then 8m, then 5m, then, 3m, 2m and one,” Ms O’Gorman said.
“She reported that she could feel the fire at her feet. Then the wind picked up and the fire was all around her.
“But she could not move because they were watching for her.”
Ms O’Gorman said after hiding for two hours, she was able to run to the property’s front gate where other police officers had arrived to guide her out.
EXTRACTION TEAM ARRIVES
The three officers first to the scene met at an area before meeting local man Victor Lewis who said his neighbour Alan Dare had been shot and killed.
Just after 6pm, Sgt Werner Crous arrived at the police command post set up further away from the incident.
He knew Constable Brough was still on the property and a fire was burning near her.
As the most senior officer there, he decided an extraction team would be needed to try to help Ms Brough.
At 6.12pm, a decision was made that officers with rifles would be sent in.
At 6.14pm, three police vehicles moved towards the property with several general duty officers.
Four minutes later, at 6.18pm, the officers were briefed and then at 6.22pm the vehicles pulled over near the property and the officers got out.
The extraction team officers continued on foot, behind the vehicles which were being used as cover.
At 6.28pm the officers saw Mr Dare near the driveway.
At 6.29pm the team arrived at the property and at 6.37pm Constable Brough was told by the 000 operator to run towards the gate.
She ran and was met by the extraction team and the officers used Mr Dare’s Ford Territory to take her to safety.
The extraction team then moved forward on the Trains’ property using the bushland and the trees, on either side of the driveway, as cover.
At 6.42pm other officers used a police vehicle to break through the front gate and drive on to the driveway. They placed the bodies of Constable McCrow and Arnold into the vehicle.
ALL SIX DEATHS CAUGHT ON CAMERA
Ruth O’Gorman KC, in her opening address, has detailed the deaths of each of the six people killed at Wains Rd, Wieambilla on December 12, 2022.
She said Constables McCrow and Arnold had started their shifts that day at 4pm and were killed a little over half an hour later - and within two minutes of arriving at the Trains’ Wains Rd property.
She said Const Arnold was killed at 4.37pm from a gunshot wound to his torso. Const McCrow died at 4.46pm from a gunshot wound to her head.
Neighbour Alan Dare was killed at 5.30pm from a gunshot wound to the torso after he spotted fires burning on the Trains’ property and came to investigate.
Ms O’Gorman said he was killed “while looking out for his community”.
The Trains were killed hours later following a standoff with highly trained SERT officers.
She said Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey were killed within seven minutes of each other.
Ms O’Gorman said Stacey was killed first - at 10.32pm - from a gunshot wound to the head.
Gareth was killed four minutes later, also from a gunshot wound to the head.
Last was Nathaniel, who was shot in the head and torso, at 10.39pm.
“Every police officer deserves to go home safely at the end of each shift,” Ms O’Gorman said.
“Every family of every police officer deserves for that to happen. On 12 December, 2022, two police officers did not make it home.
“We know that many police officers have been deeply disturbed and distressed by the loss of their colleagues.”
She acknowledged the evidence discussed at the inquest would likely affect police officers and their families.
Ms O’Gorman said after the tragedy police investigated a significant volume of bodyworn footage and Polair footage.
She said more than 150 witnesses were interviewed.
“Some of the evidence before your honour in relation to these deaths is particularly graphic and distressing,” Ms O’Gorman said.
“Constables Arnold and McCrow’s deaths were recorded on bodyworn footage worn by the officers and fellow colleagues.
“Mr Dare was filming the fires that he had gone to check out and inadvertently recorded his own death.
“Each of the Trains’ deaths were recorded on Polair and SERT footage.” Ms O’Gorman said footage depicting deaths would not be played to the inquest.
Ms O’Gorman said the New South Wales Police Force contacted the Chinchilla Police Station on December 12, in the hours before the shooting, asking Queensland to help find Nathaniel Train, who had been reported missing in NSW.
She said the four officers were tasked with going to the property owned by Gareth and Stacey Train, because it was thought Nathaniel might be there.
Ms O’Gorman has shown the driveway at the Wains Rd property the four officers walked up on the day of the shooting.
She said a barricade was later placed across the driveway. She has shown the court other locations, just next to the driveway, that had large mirrors placed on them.
RACHEL MCCROW’S MUM BREAKS SILENCE
“Rachel and Matthew were our gorgeous children who we miss so much,” Judy McCrow said on behalf of both the McCrow and Arnold families outside court this morning.
“There is no escaping our devastating loss … the all-consuming grief and the tears.
“Our ‘collective heart’ remains broken beyond repair. We have been robbed of a beautiful, caring daughter and son who loved life and had so many adventures ahead of them.
“What unfolded in Wieambilla on December 12, 2022 should never have happened.
“No police officer – committed to their job, their colleagues, and their community – should die under such horrible, brutal circumstances.”
Mrs McCrow said their thoughts were also with the extended police family and those who loved Mr Dare.
“We have never before spoken directly to the media but today is different.
“As hard as it is to stand here, we know how important it is.
“That is because we don’t want the loss of Rachel and Matthew to be in vain. We must persevere through our pain, to honour their memory and strive for a safer tomorrow.
“While the terrible void in our lives will never be filled, we hope any reforms put forward by the Coroner will prevent a tragedy like this happening again – and other families experiencing our heartbreak.
“We certainly hope the coronial inquest will be open and transparent, to find the truth of what happened in the lead up to – and on – that horrific day.
“Any change to policing processes, procedures or policies to reduce the likelihood of loss of life occurring in similar circumstances must be introduced immediately.
“We pose this question to authorities: Could a national weapons and ammunition register, drones and satellite-based communication strategies reduce the current risk?
“Every police officer in Queensland – both now and into the future – must be protected. They should be secure in the knowledge that everything possible is being done to ensure they make it home after every shift.
“We want everyone to remember Rachel and Matthew and their ultimate sacrifice.”
PROCEEDINGS DELAYED AN HOUR
More than 100 media, police, lawyers and relatives of those killed have crowded into two courtrooms to hear the proceedings, which were delayed for an hour for technical reasons.
Fourteen separate legal teams have given appearances, with various police, police commissioners from both Queensland and New South Wales, family members and witnesses represented.
State Coroner Terry Ryan has opened the inquest by offering his “sincere condolences” to the loved ones of the people who died at Wieambilla and acknowledged the police and first responders who have been “deeply affected” by the events that day.
Barrister Lachlan Gyles, representing the NSW Police Commissioner, has addressed the court to offer sympathies on behalf of the NSW Police Force.
“Thank you for the opportunity to extend our deepest and sincere sympathies to the family of Alan Dare … and to pay tribute to and public recognise the courage, commitment and bravery of (Constables McCrow and Arnold) who each made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” he said.
He also paid tribute to the police who served “side by side with them” and all of those who lost family members.
INQUEST INTO HORRIFIC MASSACRE STARTS
The horrific massacre of two young police officers and a good Samaritan at the hands of a trio of conspiracy theorists will be examined in a marathon inquest starting this morning.
The Wieambilla massacre – labelled an act of domestic terrorism by police – was a plot carried out by brothers Nathaniel and Gareth Train and Gareth’s wife (also Nathaniel’s ex-wife) Stacey Train.
The religious extremists had a hatred of police and on December 12, 2022, lay in wait at their rural property in the Western Downs where they ambushed police with rifles.
Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, and Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, were shot dead by the Trains when they walked onto their property.
Neighbour Alan Dare, 58, was also killed by the trio when he saw smoke from a fire they’d lit and came to investigate. He found a police car alight and was shot as he filmed the blaze.
Two other officers, constables Keely Brough and Randall Kirk, escaped the property as the Trains continued to shoot at them.
Constable Brough was forced to flee into the scrub, where she hid for a number of hours, while the three fired rifles at her and lit fires in an attempt to flush her out.
A pre-inquest hearing was told she spent that time on the phone to a triple-0 operator while police made plans to rescue her.
A group of officers, who would become known as the “extraction team” would enter the property under fire to bring out the bodies of their fallen colleagues.
The state’s highly-trained Special Emergency Response Team killed the Trains after a standoff lasting hours.
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