Coroner’s inquest into death in custody of Ashley Washington left with State Coroner’s consideration

After threee days of evidence, State Coroner Terry Ryan has adjourned to consider findings in the death of Ashley Charles Washington.

After hearing three days of evidence surrounding the death in custody of Toowoomba man Ashley Charles Washington, State Coroner Terry Ryan has adjourned to consider findings.

The coroner’s court in Toowoomba heard Mr Washington had died on the evening of December 13, 2020, after being tasered twice by a police officer who was arresting him on Jellicoe St.

The court heard police had been called earlier that afternoon after Mr Washington was found to have entered a home in Mt Lofty and had scuffled with the homeowner before fleeing the scene.

Senior Constable Jamie Williams of the dog squad and police dog Turbo came across Mr Washington walking west on Jellicoe St and when Mr Washington failed to stop on direction, Turbo was released.

Ashley Washington

However, Mr Washington stabbed Turbo three times and the dog retreated and Snr Const. Williams then tasered Mr Washington who fell to the ground.

Soon after the taser lost effect and he stood up again and engaged in a scuffle with Snr Const. Williams who was also stabbed three times with a pair of scissors Mr Washington had taken from the Mt Lofty home.

Snr Const. Williams again tasered Mr Washington who again fell to the ground just before backup crews of police arrived to detain and handcuff him.

About 20 minutes later an ambulance crew arrived and paramedics, observing Mr Washington’s heightened state, administered a sedative.

Tyla and Paul Henningsen attend the coroner's inquest into the death of their brother and stepson Ashley Charles Washington held at Toowoomba Courthouse on August 31, 2023.

However, Mr Washington’s health quickly declined and he went into cardiac arrest and despite CPR in the ambulance he was later declared deceased at Toowoomba Hospital.

The Queensland Ambulance Service medical director Dr Stephen Rashford told the inquest that since Mr Washington’s death paramedics procedures had been improved for such incidents and now all officers had a mandatory checklist to go through when addressing such events.

Both paramedics who arrived on scene first that evening told the inquest that, in hindsight, if presented with such a scenario again they would have handled it differently but both said everything had happened quickly.

Pathologist Dr Nathan Milne, who performed the autopsy on Mr Washington, told the inquest the cause of death had been from multiple factors including Mr Washington having heart disease to the point two of the main three arteries to the heart had “severe narrowings”, the methylamphetamine and cannabis he had in his system at the time, and the stress related to the situation in which he found himself at arrest.

State Coroner Terry Ryan

State Coroner Ryan was asked to consider four main aspects of Mr Washington’s death, including:

1. The findings required by s45(2) Coroners Act 2003; namely the identity of the deceased, when, where and how he died and what caused his death;

2. Whether the actions of Senior Constable Williams were appropriate in the circumstances;

3. Whether the actions of attending Queensland Police Service officers were appropriate in the circumstances; and

4. Whether the actions of the attending Queensland Ambulance Service officers were appropriate in the circumstances.

No date has yet been set for Mr Ryan’s findings to be handed down.