Two police officers and a neighbour had no interaction with residents of a remote Queensland property before they were gunned down in cold blood in an act of religious terrorism.
The shocking detail emerged on Thursday at a pre-inquest conference into the deaths that occurred at Wieambilla, on the Western Downs, on December 12.
Six people were killed that day — the two constables Matthew Joseph Arnold, 26, and Rachel Clare McCrow, 29 and a neighbour who tried to help, Alan Dare, 58.
The three perpetrators — Gareth Daniel Train, 47, Nathaniel Charles Train, 46, and Stacey Jane Train, 45 — were later shot dead by police after a lengthy siege.
State Coroner Terry Ryan presided over the conference in Brisbane on Thursday to establish what findings need to be made over the deaths.
Counsel assisting the inquest, Ruth O’Gorman KC, revealed that the two constables were wounded and then fatally shot at close range within 10 minutes of entering the remote roperty for a welfare check on Nathanial Train, who was a missing person.
The three suspects, the Trains, lit fires in an attempt to flush out Constable Keely Brough, who was fleeing the attack.
Mr Dare was shot dead when he went to investigate.
The Trains were shot dead by emergency response officers who entered the property six hours later.
Ms Gorman said the body-worn camera footage from the two officers showed there was “no interaction” with any residents at the property before one or more of the Trains opened fire.
Mr Dare was recording a video on his phone when he was shot. It also showed he had no interaction with the Trains before being gunned down.
Ms O’Gorman said due to the great public interest in the proceedings, she would give more information than usual at this early stage.
Public hearings into the deaths and possible ways to prevent a similar incident in the future will not start until 2024 because the coroner must wait for a “complex” investigation to finish.
“A highly significant body of work has been undertaken and will continue to be undertaken,” Ms O’Gorman said.
The pre-inquest conference heard that Police Ethical Standards Command had started its investigation soon after the deaths and had contacted 152 witnesses and gathered 325 exhibits, including phone records for each of the Trains going back six years.
Ms O’Gorman said the investigation had involved “significant resources … breadth and complexity” and, along with a report to the coroner, it was unlikely to be finished before the end of the year.
“We’re not in position to give the likely timing beyond that hearings will be held in 2024 and can not indicate how long the inquest will take,” Ms O”Gorman said.
The inquest will include looking into the online activities of the Trains “identify possible associates who may have influenced them in their actions” and how NSW Police communicated with their Queensland counterparts when requesting they attend the Wieambilla property.
Solicitor for the McCrow and Arnold families, Peter Lyons, said outside court that his clients “want to know the answers like any grieving families would … this was a very tragic series of events”.
-with AAP
