Just nine days after being released on bail, Johnston, who faced four charges of sexually assaulting Wilkinson, was found dead. The circumstances surrounding the 27-year-old’s death were examined in a recent inquest, revealing procedural errors in Johnston’s bail process.
During the inquest, it was discovered that police mistakenly granted Johnston bail, bypassing the required magistrate’s review. Detective Inspector Paul Fletcher, leading the Gold Coast Vulnerable Persons Group, acknowledged that the police had overlooked critical steps.
“While they generally adhered to set procedures, there were definitely areas needing improvement,” Fletcher stated at the Southport Coroners Court.
The detective concurred with previous testimonies highlighting the gravity of Johnston’s charges, emphasizing that such serious allegations necessitated a magistrate’s decision on bail eligibility.
Coroner Gallagher inquired, “Would any of these procedural lapses have altered the outcome?”
“Would any of this have been outcome-changing?” Gallagher asked.
“That’s a hard question. There are a lot of unknowns,” Fletcher said.
Some of the officers involved had since been required to take part in remedial training, the inquest was told previously.
Officers were first made aware of Wilkinson’s complaints about domestic violence 23 days before her murder and later visited her home to organise for her to make a statement.
Senior Constable Julien O’Rourke said he assessed Wilkinson to be a “medium risk”.
“She said she had been receiving messages from a work colleague of Johnston … she said she was scared,” he said.
Fletcher said he was unsure whether the new generation of tablets issued to police since Wilkinson’s death could read PDF files.
The Gold Coast vulnerable persons unit now had more officers and Queensland police as a whole were now better able to respond to domestic violence victims, the coroner heard.
“We are always improving,” Fletcher said.
The inquest is due to finish tomorrow.
Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732, National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service on 1800 211 028, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491.
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