A coroner has found police failed to follow family violence policy before a woman murdered her ex-partner in a small Grampians town.
Victorian Coroner John Cain has released his findings into the death of 70-year-old Colin Snooks, who was run down by Janice Bufton in the driveway of her Fyans Creek property on October 30, 2017.
In September 2019 the Supreme Court sentenced Bufton to 24 years' imprisonment, which was reduced on appeal to 20 years in August 2021.
There had been a history of family violence in the relationship and police made applications for intervention orders against both Mr Snooks and Bufton after a March 2017 incident.
Judge Cain said making two applications was not in line with Victoria Police policy and guidance at the time, which directed only one primary aggressor should be identified in family violence incidents.
"The available information suggests that Ms Bufton was the primary aggressor in this incident," he wrote in his coronial findings.
Judge Cain said police could have removed themselves from the application against Mr Snooks and allowed Bufton to pursue it on her own when she told police she was not afraid of Mr Snooks.
Ongoing family violence
Mr Snooks, a father-of-two, had attended Bufton's property with a friend on the fatal day in 2017, intending to collect his caravan, but Bufton became verbally abusive and took the keys to his car.
Mr Snooks was walking out of the property while on the phone to triple-0 when Bufton drove her car down the driveway and veered onto the grass towards him.
Mr Snooks was hit at 12.50pm and later declared dead at the scene.
The coronial report reveals Mr Snooks had told police in February 2017 he had been experiencing verbal and physical abuse from Bufton since 2016 and he was having difficulty retrieving his caravan from her.
"Mr Snooks reported that he believed Ms Bufton was using the caravan as a means to control him and prevent him from leaving the relationship," the coroner's report says.
Police had visited her property with Mr Snooks in the past to retrieve the caravan but left without it after Bufton became argumentative.
Mr Snooks had also reported to police Bufton would take his glasses and hearing aid whenever he indicated he wanted to leave the relationship and alleged she told him he "needed shooting".
Police improving response
Judge Cain noted Victoria Police had since improved oversight of family violence cross-applications, which means applications for interventions orders are made against both people involved.
"Now, if a family violence cross-application is made, it is expected practice that it will be identified and remedied at the sergeant or police supervisor level," he wrote.
"If a cross-application is not identified at this stage, the Victoria Police prosecutions unit will liaise with the informant to identify the primary aggressor and withdraw one of the applications."
Judge Cain said Victoria Police was also working to refine policy and practice on the identification of primary aggressors in family violence incidents.
This includes improving training and development for police members, updating the code of practice and exploring ways to correct mistaken identification of primary aggressors in police databases.
Judge Cain made his findings from a coronial investigation, without an inquest, and requested Mr Snooks' death to be examined as part of the Victorian Systemic Review of Family Violence Deaths.
