Premier tells grieving dad mistakes weren’t made in daughter’s death investigation

Premier Peter Gutwein has responded to a grieving dad fighting to get a coronial inquest reopened into his teen daughter’s tragic death.

• Dad wants inquest reopened into daughter’s tragic St Helens death
• Inquest resumes into teen boy Liam Mead’s apparent suicide

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has refused to intervene in the coronial investigation of a young girl’s death – a case that her grieving parents say must be reopened.

St Helens dad Jason Westbrook, whose daughter Eden died in February 2015, says foul play shouldn’t yet be ruled out because key evidence wasn’t provided to the coroner, who deemed the 15-year-old died by suicide.

Mr Westbrook has also lodged a complaint with Tasmania Police Professional Standards after Rene Hidding, who was Police Minister at the time, allegedly gained a copy of the confidential 2016 coronial findings.

He said he was “deeply upset and confused” that politicians were viewing sensitive and private information about his daughter without his and his wife’s permission.

On Friday, Mr Gutwein said Mr Hidding was provided the report so he could answer criticisms from other politicians about how other police managed the investigation.

Mr Gutwein said it was “quite correct” for Mr Hidding to request the report.

Also in his letter, the Premier said the coroner had concluded the police investigation into Eden’s death had been “competently conducted”.

“I am not able to take the matter any further,” he said.

Eden Westbrook, 15, died during 2015 at St Helens. Her dad is now pushing for an inquest into her death to be reopened, arguing foul play should not be ruled out. Picture: Supplied

Mr Westbrook remains deeply concerned that CCTV footage showing Eden arguing with a woman in the St Helens skate park the night before her death wasn’t provided to the coroner.

He also says a number of witnesses weren’t interviewed after his daughter’s death, and that new evidence had emerged since the coronial findings were handed down.

He’s also pointed to a number of anomalies in the coronial findings that he says suggests due process hasn’t been followed – including that the date of his daughter’s death had been incorrectly recorded.

Mr Westbrook has also criticised Tasmania Police because Eden’s body wasn’t shielded from public view for several hours.

His lawyer Glynn Williams has written to Chief Magistrate Catherine Geason, asking to reopen the investigation.

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