Coroner says report into death of Claremont woman lacked evidence

A woman’s body was found on the foreshore at Claremont in 2016 by a group of boys. But a coroner said she struggled to make a finding because investigation was flawed.

The view from Cadbury Rd, Claremont. (Derwent Waters Retirement Village)

A CORONER has slammed the investigation into the death of a aged care resident who fell from a cliff in the Hobart suburb of Claremont in 2016.

Judith Anne Emery, a resident of Derwent Waters, was found at the bottom of the cliff on September 26, two days after she was last seen at her unit.

Coroner Olivia McTaggart labelled the investigation into the 74-year-old woman’s death

“prolonged and unsatisfactory”.

“The subject report and evidentiary material from the investigating officer was submitted to the Coroner’s Office on June 27 2018, just short of two years after Ms Emery’s death,” Ms McTaggart said.

She said the report was difficult to understand and the evidence inadequate – including a lack of detail from staff at Derwent Waters regarding Ms Emery’s movements before her death.

Ms Emery had lived at the home for three years before she was found by a group of boys lying on the rocky shore near Morton Crescent, about 300m from Derwent Waters.

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Before her death she was healthy, alert and fully capable of living independently and would often walk to a bus stop on Cadbury Rd to catch a bus to visit her partner, Yogi Marriott, at a home in Glenorchy.

Mr Marriott’s son William and his partner arrived in Tasmania on September 25, 2016.

They had organised to pick Ms Emery up and travel together to Glenorchy.

The couple unsuccessfully tried to reach Ms Emery by phone and then went to Derwent Waters to check on her.

The night manager said she had not seen Ms Emery since the day before.

They entered Ms Emery’s locked unit but her was not there. Nothing appeared out of place and the woman’s wallet and handbag were inside.

Police were called and searches were carried out before Ms Emery was found by the boys.

Ms Emery’s handkerchief was found on the cliff.

Ms McTaggart said while it was plausible Ms Emery may have decided to stop at the small lookout, it was hard to understand why she would have deliberately stepped over the log markers which acted as natural barriers.

“It is possible that she was walking in the dark and accidentally fell though the foliage to the rocky shore below,” Ms McTaggart said.

“It is also plausible to consider that Ms Emery may have deliberately jumped from the cliff with an intention of ending her life.”