Anyone knows anything about this case?
Report by the NSW State Coroner into deaths in custody/police operations.
2004
(Coroner’s Act 1980, Section 13A.)
(...)
336/03 Male aged 40 years died on the 27th February 2003 at St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst. Finding handed down on 24 March 2004 at Glebe by NSW State Coroner John Abernethy.
This death has been assessed as a death during a police operation within the meaning of Section 13A, Coroners Act 1980. In those circumstances it has been independently investigated as a Critical Incident in accordance with NSW Police Protocols. This ensures impartiality on the part of the investigative team and it also protects the police involved from unwarranted criticism unless such criticism is appropriate. The deceased was a native of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but became an Australian Citizen in about 1995.
Brief Facts.
Late in the afternoon of the 26th February 2003 The Rocks Police received information relating to a male acting suspiciously on the South Western approach to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. At that part of the bridge approach, there is a thick, 1.2 metre high concrete wall with a drop of about 15 metres to a basketball court below. Police were immediately dispatched but did not see the deceased on arrival at the bridge, as he was actually on the South Eastern approach. They returned to the police Station. RTA again alerted police that the same person was still on the bridge. Police were again dispatched immediately. At 1920 hours, as police were patrolling the southern end of the bridge they approached the deceased. He then jumped from the bridge onto a basketball court below, sustaining fatal injuries. He died of multiple injuries at 12.20 am on 27th February in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst.
The entire incident was recorded on Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) security cameras. That video footage has made the immediate circumstances of death very clear to me.
Both police constables were separated according to protocols and interviewed by ERISP record of interview. Their versions are entirely consistent and are supported by the video evidence.
In essence, at about 6.50 pm Constable Saxton was informed that there was a “job going in relation to a male on the Harbour Bridge at the Southern Pylon.” He was informed that the Prime Minister was going to cross the bridge in the next half hour, so he was sent to check the male’s bona fides. He and his partner, Constable S drove their police vehicle to Clarence Street, near the Australian Hotel. He and his partner went up the ramp to the footpath along the Harbour Bridge on the Eastern side. Police went to the Southern Pylon and walked north along the bridge. They requested a description of the deceased and continued searching. On making further inquiries as to location they returned southwards along the bridge, this time ascending by the nearby stairs. They had to go quite a distance, walking back down the ramp and up a set of stairs. When they got to the top of these stairs they saw the deceased about 10 to 15 metres away. On seeing police he immediately jumped up onto the concrete handrail of the bridge. Constable S said words to the effect:
“No mate, stay this side”.
He put his hand up and indicated to his partner to stop because he feared that if he went closer to the deceased he would jump. He said:
“Mate, come back down, we’ll talk about it. There’s no need to do this”.
He called “urgent” on police radio.
The deceased looked at the two officers, grinned and jumped from the bridge. Police immediately ran to the rail and saw the deceased on the basketball court below. They requested immediate attendance of an ambulance. They ran down the stairs to the courts. The gate was locked so they climbed the fence. The deceased was already in the recovery position. His airways were clear and he was breathing.
He died early the next day.
Issues
Next of kin have raised the issue of the ease with which the deceased was able to jump from the bridge. Whilst the approaches to the bridge are generally quite easy to access, the reality is that few people opt to take their lives by jumping from them. On the other hand, high, barbed wire type barriers above the existing parapet would greatly detract from what is after all a beautiful structure and an icon of this great city. I do not propose to make a recommendation in relation to this concern of next of kin. Sydneysiders understand their bridge and I know of no general safety concerns about the approaches to the bridge.
Police could find no evidence of prior poor mental health and have not been able to ascertain just why he took his life. He was at the time of his death, involved with the Church of Scientology but that organisation can give no reason for his decision to end his life.
The police operation was carried out entirely appropriately. Significantly the officers involved were given no chance by the deceased to commence dialogue with him.
The RTA video makes the entire police operation most plain.
Finding
That TS died on 27th February 2003 at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst of multiple injuries sustained on 26th February 2003 at The Rocks, Sydney when he jumped from a Southern approach to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the intention of taking his own life.
http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/Coroners_Court/ll_coroners.nsf/vwFiles/DIC2004%20final.doc/$file/DIC2004%20final.doc
