DV victim’s pleas for help labelled ‘lower priority’ before her murder

Police knew of “high risk” domestic violence complaints against a man weeks before he set his estranged wife on fire and killed her, a coroner has heard.

Kelly Leigh Wilkinson, a 27-year-old mother-of-three was repeatedly stabbed, doused with petrol and set on fire by Brian Earl Johnston at her Arundel home on the Gold Coast on April 20, 2021.

Queensland Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher opened an inquest on Tuesday in Southport into Wilkinson’s death and the police response to her earlier domestic violence complaints.

Johnston had been subject to a domestic violence order when he murdered her.

He was also on bail accused of sexually assaulting Wilkinson.

Counsel assisting, Sarah Lane, said the inquest also proposed looking into whether the police acted in accordance with their procedures and policies.

Detective Inspector Sue Newton testified about the police Ethical Standards Command’s investigation into Wilkinson’s case, noting the couple’s first contact with police was about three weeks before the murder.

Johnston initially contacted officers in anticipation that Wilkinson would accuse him of rape, she said.

“He had concerns for the safety of the children,” Newton said.

Wilkinson was designated as a “high-risk aggrieved” person, while the Gold Coast Domestic Violence Prevention Centre urged police to produce a “high-risk response” to her being in danger.

“[Police] put a high-risk flag on her name and residence,” Newton said.

Wilkinson contacted police on April 1 to report that Johnston had breached a protection order after he got a third party to contact her about returning his property and getting access to the children.

Officers were tasked with responding to Wilkinson’s complaint as a “lower priority” job.

There was no indication that her complaint should have been treated as urgent, but the officers making the decision would not have been aware that she had been deemed to be at “high risk” of domestic violence, Newton said.

The coroner responded: “You are going to have to explain that to me.”

It would take more than a week to provide evidence about that decision, the police commissioner’s barrister, Michael Nicholson, told Gallagher.

Wilkinson was later accused of “cop shopping” by police, who did not act on her complaints days before her badly burnt body was found outside her home.

The officer who made the comment was later the subject of a disciplinary interview, Newton said.

“The words to us were not appropriate to be used for a domestic violence situation,” she said.

No officer received disciplinary action as a result of the case, but two were given remedial training, Newton added.

Johnston, a former US marine, later entered Wilkinson’s home wearing black clothing and a black mask while carrying a backpack with a hatchet, duct tape, zip ties and sedatives.

Wilkinson’s body was found outside her home and her killer was found nearby after he collapsed and suffered burns in the fire.

Johnston was jailed for life in March 2024 after pleading guilty to murder.

AAP

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732.