Inquest into the Death of Gyan Murray JEFFERY

Inquest into the Death of Gyan Murray JEFFERY

Delivered on : 30 December 2014

Delivered at :Perth

Finding of : Coroner King

Recommendations :N/A

Orders/Rules : N/A

Suppression Order : N/A

Summary : The deceased was a 31year old man when he was struck by two motor vehicles within a short time. He died soon after being hit by the second vehicle.

The primary focus of the inquest was the issue of how the deceased came to be lying on the road prior to being run over and, specifically, whether his friend Mr Freeman contributed to that occurring by hitting the deceased with his car and causing him a head injury.

The Coroner noted that much of the evidence of the events of 30 September 2011 was vague and inconsistent, making it somewhat unreliable. However, that it was relatively clear on the balance of probabilities that Mr Freeman did not contribute directly to the deceased’s death.

The Coroner obtained evidence of the deceased’s mental illness, including ongoing suicidal ideation. The Coroner could not exclude the possibility that the deceased placed himself on the roadway, effectively as an act of suicide. The Coroner also observed that, given the likely sedating effect of the drugs and alcohol consumed by the deceased and the evidence of him lying on the back seat of Mr Freeman’s car, he could not be satisfied that the deceased did not simply lie down on the roadway, overcome with drowsiness.

Having regard to those considerations, the Coroner could not determine whether the death occurred by way of accident or suicide.

The Coroner found that the deceased died of head and chest injury and made an open finding as to how death occurred.

Catch Words : Motor Vehicle Accident : Alcohol and Drug : Open Finding : Mental Illness

Last updated: 17-Jan-2024

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