CCTV offers clues in search for grandmother's killers
Grainy footage of men in two cars has been released on Mother's Day as police search for the drive-by "cowards" who fatally shot a grandmother inside her home.
Authorities are yet to charge anyone over the attack in Ambarvale, on Sydney's southwest outskirts, on April 14.
Three people got out of a sedan and fired shots at a house on Dickens Rd, where 65-year-old Kim Duncan was fatally hit, police said.
Two other people in the home, a 21-year-old woman and 34-year-old man, were not injured.
On Sunday, police released CCTV vision in an attempt to find the shooters.
It shows a blue sedan driving down a quiet road in the middle of the night.
Other dark, grainy footage shows the sedan, along with a white SUV, doing a U-turn at the bottom of a road before parking on the side of the street.
Men from each of the cars exit and exchange words, before driving off.
Police said it was targeted attack but were unclear if Ms Duncan was their intended victim.
The house occupants, who authorities believed had lived there for six to eight weeks, were known to police.
Detective Superintendent Grant Healey called the shooting abhorrent, reckless, catastrophic and tragic.
"Your mother and the grandmother to your children has been shot by cowards that stood out the front of the house," he said.
Police believe three people got out of the sedan, but are unsure how many opened fire at the house.
Two of the wanted men are described as aged in their 30s, about 180-185cm tall, with one being white and the other of Middle Eastern appearance.
The third male is believed to be a Pacific Islander aged in his 20s, about 180cm tall, with a large build.
Speaking after the shooting, nearby resident Louise Hoser said she heard gunshots soon after 10.30pm.
"Within 20 minutes I went to bed and my bedroom just lit up with the police lights ... they didn't have the sirens going, but there was a lot of police presence and ambulances up there," she told AAP.
"I woke my house up to alert them that something was happening ... it was very distressing to hear the family, and shocking to find out she was an elderly lady."
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Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Mushroom cook Erin Patterson breaks her silence
Almost two years after four of her husband's family members fell deathly ill following a lunch she hosted, alleged poisoner Erin Patterson has broken her silence. For eight days, the 50-year-old sat in the witness box of a regional Victorian courtroom as she answered thousands of questions about her life, her relationships and the events surrounding July 29, 2023. Her evidence was, at times, intensely personal as the alleged triple-murderer spoke about issues in her marriage, feeling ostracised from her husband's family, lies she told and an eating disorder no one knew about. And it all played out in front of a jury of her peers, her in-laws and a packed public gallery – some lining up for hours in near-zero temperatures to ensure a seat in the second-floor courtroom. Erin Patterson has finished her marathon session giving evidence in her triple-murder trial. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP This Thursday, on day 31 of the trial, senior Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC closed off five days of cross-examination with three questions that lie at the heart of the Crown's case. 'I suggest that you deliberately sourced death cap mushrooms in 2023; agree or disagree?' Dr Rogers asked. 'Disagree.' 'I suggest you deliberately included them in the beef Wellingtons you served to Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, Ian Wilkinson and Heather Wilkinson; agree or disagree?' 'Disagree.' 'And you did so intending to kill them; agree or disagree?' 'Disagree.' Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder with her defence arguing she did not intentionally poison anyone and the case is a tragic accident. Her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson died from death cap mushroom poisoning in the week after eating a beef wellington lunch she hosted. The fourth guest, Heather's husband Korumburra Baptist Church pastor Ian Wilkinson, recovered and has been a regular face in the Morwell courtroom alongside other members of the Wilkinson and Patterson families. Korumburra pastor Ian Wilkinson and wife Heather Wilkinson also ate the beef wellington. Supplied. Credit: Supplied On the stand, Ms Patterson denied wanting to harm any of her four guests and said the July 29 lunch was spurred by a desire to close some distance she had felt in recent months. She told the jury after her separation from Simon in 2015, Don and Gail had remained central figures in her life, particularly after the deaths of her own parents. But she felt Simon had a hand in ostracising her from his family and had decided to be more proactive 'so I didn't lose that connection'. She said Simon and her had struggled to communicate over the entirety of their relationship but remained close after their split until a child support dispute in late 2022 created tension. 'We didn't relate on friend things, banter, like we used to. That changed at the start of the year,' she said. Ms Patterson's estranged husband Simon Patterson. NewsWire / David Geraghty Credit: News Corp Australia Ms Patterson told the jury she chose to make beef wellington for the lunch because it was a dish her mother would make for special occasions, modifying Nagi Maehashi's recipe from a log to individual portions because she could only find eye-fillet steaks. She said she primarily used button mushrooms from Woolworths to make the duxelles, or mushroom paste, but added dried mushrooms from her pantry because the dish 'seemed a little bland'. She gave evidence the dried mushrooms were purchased from an Asian grocer in Melbourne's east in about April the same year and had a 'pungent smell'. 'I thought it was the perfect dish for them,' the accused woman said. Ms Patterson said she made six beef wellingtons, serving five to herself and her guests, and serving the last one to her children for dinner the following night with the pastry and mushrooms scrapped off. She said in the aftermath of the lunch she believed she only used mushrooms from the two sources but now accepts she 'may' have added dehydrated wild mushrooms to the Tupperware container in her pantry. The jury heard Ms Patterson bought a dehydrator on April 28, 2023. She told the court she bought the Sunbeam device so she could preserve foods including wild mushrooms and denied a suggestion by prosecutors that the purchase was made two hours after picking death cap mushrooms in the nearby town of Loch. She further disputed Dr Roger's suggestion that a photo located in the Google Photos cache data on a Samsung tablet depicts death caps on a dehydrator tray with the last modified date of May 4. Erin Patterson is facing trial accused of murdering three of her husband's family members. NewsWire / Paul Tyquin Credit: News Corp Australia In her recorded interview with police a week after the lunch, Ms Patterson said she'd never foraged for mushrooms. On the stand however, she admitted this was a lie, telling the jury she developed an interest in wild mushrooms during the early 2020 Covid lockdowns. Over a period of months she said she grew confident in identifying field and horse mushrooms in the paddocks on her property, before 'eventually' eating them. 'I cut a bit off one of the mushrooms, fried it up with some butter, ate it, and then saw what happened,' she said. 'They tasted good and I didn't get sick.' Ms Patterson said over the following years she would go foraging in nearby areas and cook the wild mushrooms into meals for her and her children. But she said she'd never foraged at two locations, Loch and Outtrim, where prosecutors allege phone records indicate a possible visit after death cap sightings were posted on iNaturalist. In cross-examination, she refuted a suggestion by Dr Rogers that her interest in mushrooms was invented 'to try and explain why you put foraged death cap mushrooms in the meal'. In her evidence, the accused woman disputed several aspects of lunch survivor Ian Wilkinson's account to the jury of the event. He described the four lunch guests eating off large grey plates while Ms Patterson ate off a smaller 'orangey-tan' plate and her sharing an ovarian cancer diagnosis and asking for advice on how to tell the children. Ms Patterson said she did not own grey plates, nor an orangey-tan one or even four plates of a set. The jury was shown images taken from the police walk-through on August 5 which show two white plates, two black plates, a black and red plate and a multi-coloured plate. Ms Patterson confirmed these were the only plates she owned. A supplied image obtained on Saturday, August 12, 2023, of Don Patterson and Gail Patterson who died in hospital after eating a meal suspected to have contained poisoned mushroom. Homicide squad detectives are continuing to investigate how four guests became seriously ill after attending a lunch at a Leongatha home in Victoria's southeast on July 29. (AAP Image/Supplied by IntraWork Business Services) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY Credit: SUPPLIED / PR IMAGE She also disputed that she told the guests she had cancer, claiming she said she might have some 'upcoming treatment' after telling Don and Gail she was receiving testing on a lump on her elbow earlier that year. Ms Patterson admitted she lied to Don and Gail about undergoing a needle biopsy and MRI but said she was planning on using the lump, which has resolved itself, as cover for weight-loss surgery. 'I'd been fighting a never-ending battle of low self-esteem most of my adult life, and the further inroads I made into being middle aged, the less I felt good about myself, I suppose,' she said. 'I was ashamed of the fact that I didn't have control over my body or what I ate … I shouldn't have lied to them.' Ms Patterson told the court she'd never had a 'healthy relationship' with food and had been bingeing and purging since her 20s – something she hid from everyone around her. 'In some intense periods it could have been daily, then it could be weekly or monthly,' she said. She said at the lunch she only ate a portion of her beef wellington but after her guests left, she cleaned up and binged on an orange cake Gail had brought. 'I had a piece of cake and then another piece of cake and then another,' she said, her voice faltering. The alleged poisoner said she felt sick and 'brought it back up' some time that afternoon, but would not be drawn on if she vomited the beef wellington. 'I couldn't be sure what was in my vomit,' she said. Ms Patterson disputed a suggestion by Dr Rogers that her account of vomiting was a lie to account for why she didn't fall seriously ill like her guests. 'I wish that was true, but it's not,' she said. Ms Patterson said she had a pre-assessment scheduled for gastric bypass surgery at the ENRICH Clinic in Melbourne two months after the lunch but cancelled it in the fallout. In a last-minute statement produced by prosecutors on June 11, ENRICH Clinic testified they'd never offered gastric bypass surgery. Ms Patterson refused to concede she lied, saying that was her memory but perhaps it was another weight loss procedure, such as liposuction. Her barrister Colin Mandy SC later produced a screenshot of the ENRICH Clinic's website, which contained a post saying they stopped offering liposuction in June 2024. After Ms Patterson's evidence concluded on Thursday, jurors were told by Justice Christopher Beale that marked the 'completion of the evidence in this case'. The trial is expected to resume on Monday as prosecutors deliver their closing address before the defence follows suit. The trial continues.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Historical weapons donated to RSL after raid on underworld figure's house
Stolen historical weapons, seized from the home of a known criminal, have been donated to a regional RSL after police spent years trying to track down their rightful owners. Members of the public have been invited to the Rosebud RSL club on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to see the "historically significant" bayonets on display with its extensive military collection. It comes after police seized two bayonets, among a cache of weapons, while searching the home of a Middle Eastern organised crime gang member in Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's western suburbs, in November 2021. Investigators went to "considerable lengths" to find the rightful owner of the bayonets after discovering that the stolen 100-year-old weapons were historically significant. Two military historians examined the World War I era bayonets and found that one was issued by the British army while was from the French army. Detective Sergeant Ciaran Duryea said, "It's not every day that you seize a weapon that is over 100 years old, let alone one that has some historical significance". "We were really hopeful that enquiries would lead us to the rightful owner - we had no way of knowing whether these items were of particular significance to someone's family and they had been taken from them," he said. "Unfortunately, and despite a significant amount of work, we were never able to find the owners. "So we wanted to make sure that the weapons didn't end up being destroyed and that piece of history wouldn't be lost forever." Rosebud RSL president Bruce Turner said he was "honoured" to receive the historic weapons from the police on June 13. "We got memorabilia from all conflicts on display at the RSL. We have an extensive collection [donated by the community]," he said. Mr Turner laughed when asked if he was worried the gang member could return to reclaim the historic weapons. "That's no problem at all," he said. All weapons were seized from the criminal syndicate member, due to a Firearms Prohibition Order, and he was charged with weapons and drug offences, police said. Stolen historical weapons, seized from the home of a known criminal, have been donated to a regional RSL after police spent years trying to track down their rightful owners. Members of the public have been invited to the Rosebud RSL club on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to see the "historically significant" bayonets on display with its extensive military collection. It comes after police seized two bayonets, among a cache of weapons, while searching the home of a Middle Eastern organised crime gang member in Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's western suburbs, in November 2021. Investigators went to "considerable lengths" to find the rightful owner of the bayonets after discovering that the stolen 100-year-old weapons were historically significant. Two military historians examined the World War I era bayonets and found that one was issued by the British army while was from the French army. Detective Sergeant Ciaran Duryea said, "It's not every day that you seize a weapon that is over 100 years old, let alone one that has some historical significance". "We were really hopeful that enquiries would lead us to the rightful owner - we had no way of knowing whether these items were of particular significance to someone's family and they had been taken from them," he said. "Unfortunately, and despite a significant amount of work, we were never able to find the owners. "So we wanted to make sure that the weapons didn't end up being destroyed and that piece of history wouldn't be lost forever." Rosebud RSL president Bruce Turner said he was "honoured" to receive the historic weapons from the police on June 13. "We got memorabilia from all conflicts on display at the RSL. We have an extensive collection [donated by the community]," he said. Mr Turner laughed when asked if he was worried the gang member could return to reclaim the historic weapons. "That's no problem at all," he said. All weapons were seized from the criminal syndicate member, due to a Firearms Prohibition Order, and he was charged with weapons and drug offences, police said. Stolen historical weapons, seized from the home of a known criminal, have been donated to a regional RSL after police spent years trying to track down their rightful owners. Members of the public have been invited to the Rosebud RSL club on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to see the "historically significant" bayonets on display with its extensive military collection. It comes after police seized two bayonets, among a cache of weapons, while searching the home of a Middle Eastern organised crime gang member in Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's western suburbs, in November 2021. Investigators went to "considerable lengths" to find the rightful owner of the bayonets after discovering that the stolen 100-year-old weapons were historically significant. Two military historians examined the World War I era bayonets and found that one was issued by the British army while was from the French army. Detective Sergeant Ciaran Duryea said, "It's not every day that you seize a weapon that is over 100 years old, let alone one that has some historical significance". "We were really hopeful that enquiries would lead us to the rightful owner - we had no way of knowing whether these items were of particular significance to someone's family and they had been taken from them," he said. "Unfortunately, and despite a significant amount of work, we were never able to find the owners. "So we wanted to make sure that the weapons didn't end up being destroyed and that piece of history wouldn't be lost forever." Rosebud RSL president Bruce Turner said he was "honoured" to receive the historic weapons from the police on June 13. "We got memorabilia from all conflicts on display at the RSL. We have an extensive collection [donated by the community]," he said. Mr Turner laughed when asked if he was worried the gang member could return to reclaim the historic weapons. "That's no problem at all," he said. All weapons were seized from the criminal syndicate member, due to a Firearms Prohibition Order, and he was charged with weapons and drug offences, police said. Stolen historical weapons, seized from the home of a known criminal, have been donated to a regional RSL after police spent years trying to track down their rightful owners. Members of the public have been invited to the Rosebud RSL club on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to see the "historically significant" bayonets on display with its extensive military collection. It comes after police seized two bayonets, among a cache of weapons, while searching the home of a Middle Eastern organised crime gang member in Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's western suburbs, in November 2021. Investigators went to "considerable lengths" to find the rightful owner of the bayonets after discovering that the stolen 100-year-old weapons were historically significant. Two military historians examined the World War I era bayonets and found that one was issued by the British army while was from the French army. Detective Sergeant Ciaran Duryea said, "It's not every day that you seize a weapon that is over 100 years old, let alone one that has some historical significance". "We were really hopeful that enquiries would lead us to the rightful owner - we had no way of knowing whether these items were of particular significance to someone's family and they had been taken from them," he said. "Unfortunately, and despite a significant amount of work, we were never able to find the owners. "So we wanted to make sure that the weapons didn't end up being destroyed and that piece of history wouldn't be lost forever." Rosebud RSL president Bruce Turner said he was "honoured" to receive the historic weapons from the police on June 13. "We got memorabilia from all conflicts on display at the RSL. We have an extensive collection [donated by the community]," he said. Mr Turner laughed when asked if he was worried the gang member could return to reclaim the historic weapons. "That's no problem at all," he said. All weapons were seized from the criminal syndicate member, due to a Firearms Prohibition Order, and he was charged with weapons and drug offences, police said.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Victims at risk as cops waver on warning about abusers
Failing to alert victims about the release of their abusers from jail is putting lives at risk, a domestic violence advocate warns. A state coroner recommended victims be given at least 48 hours' notice before violent partners are released from custody. It follows an inquest into the 2020 death of Noeline Dalzell, who was fatally stabbed by her abusive ex-partner in front of their three children. The proposal has drawn criticism from Victoria's police union, which says officers should be focused on responding to family violence incidents, not delivering release notifications from behind a desk. Swinburne sexual violence expert Rachael Burgin said the recommendation reflected the bare minimum of police responsibility, saying "the most fundamental job of police is to protect and serve". She said timely information was crucial for victims, so they can plan for their safety and access support from family violence services. "We cannot continue to see women and children's safety be at risk because of challenges like resourcing," Dr Burgin told AAP. "I would expect police in their role to protect and serve the community, would be taking this very seriously." State Coroner John Cain in November found police missed opportunities to protect Ms Dalzell before she was murdered by James Fairhall. Fairhall was released from custody three months earlier for breaching a family violence intervention order designed to protect Ms Dalzell. He is now serving a 25-year sentence for her murder. Among 11 recommendations, Judge Cain echoed calls from the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence for an improved information-sharing system between agencies. He also called on police to carry out an independent review of its family violence units, saying investigators' actions fell short of best practice. Victims are only notified about their abusers' movements if they opt-in to an alert system through the Victorian Victims Register. The Police Association of Victoria said notifications should sit solely with the Department of Justice and Community Safety. "We don't have enough police to respond to victims of violence when they call us in the first place, let alone committing to further processes that would further diminish our emergency response and preventative abilities, by sending officers out in person to deliver these messages," the union told AAP on Thursday. Victoria Police echoed those sentiments in a letter to the coroner. "We believe it wouldn't be appropriate for Victoria Police to have sole responsibility for notifications in every family violence related case within the Victorian court system," the statement said. The force's stance highlights systemic failure when addressing victim safety, opposition police spokesman David Southwick says. "Victoria Police saying it doesn't have the resources to warn women when violent perpetrators get out of jail shows a failure in the system and a failure of government," Mr Southwick said. A state government spokesperson said it was "completely unacceptable" women were still placed in danger after perpetrators were released from of custody. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 Failing to alert victims about the release of their abusers from jail is putting lives at risk, a domestic violence advocate warns. A state coroner recommended victims be given at least 48 hours' notice before violent partners are released from custody. It follows an inquest into the 2020 death of Noeline Dalzell, who was fatally stabbed by her abusive ex-partner in front of their three children. The proposal has drawn criticism from Victoria's police union, which says officers should be focused on responding to family violence incidents, not delivering release notifications from behind a desk. Swinburne sexual violence expert Rachael Burgin said the recommendation reflected the bare minimum of police responsibility, saying "the most fundamental job of police is to protect and serve". She said timely information was crucial for victims, so they can plan for their safety and access support from family violence services. "We cannot continue to see women and children's safety be at risk because of challenges like resourcing," Dr Burgin told AAP. "I would expect police in their role to protect and serve the community, would be taking this very seriously." State Coroner John Cain in November found police missed opportunities to protect Ms Dalzell before she was murdered by James Fairhall. Fairhall was released from custody three months earlier for breaching a family violence intervention order designed to protect Ms Dalzell. He is now serving a 25-year sentence for her murder. Among 11 recommendations, Judge Cain echoed calls from the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence for an improved information-sharing system between agencies. He also called on police to carry out an independent review of its family violence units, saying investigators' actions fell short of best practice. Victims are only notified about their abusers' movements if they opt-in to an alert system through the Victorian Victims Register. The Police Association of Victoria said notifications should sit solely with the Department of Justice and Community Safety. "We don't have enough police to respond to victims of violence when they call us in the first place, let alone committing to further processes that would further diminish our emergency response and preventative abilities, by sending officers out in person to deliver these messages," the union told AAP on Thursday. Victoria Police echoed those sentiments in a letter to the coroner. "We believe it wouldn't be appropriate for Victoria Police to have sole responsibility for notifications in every family violence related case within the Victorian court system," the statement said. The force's stance highlights systemic failure when addressing victim safety, opposition police spokesman David Southwick says. "Victoria Police saying it doesn't have the resources to warn women when violent perpetrators get out of jail shows a failure in the system and a failure of government," Mr Southwick said. A state government spokesperson said it was "completely unacceptable" women were still placed in danger after perpetrators were released from of custody. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 Failing to alert victims about the release of their abusers from jail is putting lives at risk, a domestic violence advocate warns. A state coroner recommended victims be given at least 48 hours' notice before violent partners are released from custody. It follows an inquest into the 2020 death of Noeline Dalzell, who was fatally stabbed by her abusive ex-partner in front of their three children. The proposal has drawn criticism from Victoria's police union, which says officers should be focused on responding to family violence incidents, not delivering release notifications from behind a desk. Swinburne sexual violence expert Rachael Burgin said the recommendation reflected the bare minimum of police responsibility, saying "the most fundamental job of police is to protect and serve". She said timely information was crucial for victims, so they can plan for their safety and access support from family violence services. "We cannot continue to see women and children's safety be at risk because of challenges like resourcing," Dr Burgin told AAP. "I would expect police in their role to protect and serve the community, would be taking this very seriously." State Coroner John Cain in November found police missed opportunities to protect Ms Dalzell before she was murdered by James Fairhall. Fairhall was released from custody three months earlier for breaching a family violence intervention order designed to protect Ms Dalzell. He is now serving a 25-year sentence for her murder. Among 11 recommendations, Judge Cain echoed calls from the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence for an improved information-sharing system between agencies. He also called on police to carry out an independent review of its family violence units, saying investigators' actions fell short of best practice. Victims are only notified about their abusers' movements if they opt-in to an alert system through the Victorian Victims Register. The Police Association of Victoria said notifications should sit solely with the Department of Justice and Community Safety. "We don't have enough police to respond to victims of violence when they call us in the first place, let alone committing to further processes that would further diminish our emergency response and preventative abilities, by sending officers out in person to deliver these messages," the union told AAP on Thursday. Victoria Police echoed those sentiments in a letter to the coroner. "We believe it wouldn't be appropriate for Victoria Police to have sole responsibility for notifications in every family violence related case within the Victorian court system," the statement said. The force's stance highlights systemic failure when addressing victim safety, opposition police spokesman David Southwick says. "Victoria Police saying it doesn't have the resources to warn women when violent perpetrators get out of jail shows a failure in the system and a failure of government," Mr Southwick said. A state government spokesperson said it was "completely unacceptable" women were still placed in danger after perpetrators were released from of custody. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 Failing to alert victims about the release of their abusers from jail is putting lives at risk, a domestic violence advocate warns. A state coroner recommended victims be given at least 48 hours' notice before violent partners are released from custody. It follows an inquest into the 2020 death of Noeline Dalzell, who was fatally stabbed by her abusive ex-partner in front of their three children. The proposal has drawn criticism from Victoria's police union, which says officers should be focused on responding to family violence incidents, not delivering release notifications from behind a desk. Swinburne sexual violence expert Rachael Burgin said the recommendation reflected the bare minimum of police responsibility, saying "the most fundamental job of police is to protect and serve". She said timely information was crucial for victims, so they can plan for their safety and access support from family violence services. "We cannot continue to see women and children's safety be at risk because of challenges like resourcing," Dr Burgin told AAP. "I would expect police in their role to protect and serve the community, would be taking this very seriously." State Coroner John Cain in November found police missed opportunities to protect Ms Dalzell before she was murdered by James Fairhall. Fairhall was released from custody three months earlier for breaching a family violence intervention order designed to protect Ms Dalzell. He is now serving a 25-year sentence for her murder. Among 11 recommendations, Judge Cain echoed calls from the 2016 Royal Commission into Family Violence for an improved information-sharing system between agencies. He also called on police to carry out an independent review of its family violence units, saying investigators' actions fell short of best practice. Victims are only notified about their abusers' movements if they opt-in to an alert system through the Victorian Victims Register. The Police Association of Victoria said notifications should sit solely with the Department of Justice and Community Safety. "We don't have enough police to respond to victims of violence when they call us in the first place, let alone committing to further processes that would further diminish our emergency response and preventative abilities, by sending officers out in person to deliver these messages," the union told AAP on Thursday. Victoria Police echoed those sentiments in a letter to the coroner. "We believe it wouldn't be appropriate for Victoria Police to have sole responsibility for notifications in every family violence related case within the Victorian court system," the statement said. The force's stance highlights systemic failure when addressing victim safety, opposition police spokesman David Southwick says. "Victoria Police saying it doesn't have the resources to warn women when violent perpetrators get out of jail shows a failure in the system and a failure of government," Mr Southwick said. A state government spokesperson said it was "completely unacceptable" women were still placed in danger after perpetrators were released from of custody. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
