Suicide of NT police officer Michael Deutrom to be examined at coronial inquest

Australia Broadcast Center

20-05-2025

WARNING: This story contains references to suicide and self-harm and will be distressing for some readers.
A coronial inquest into the suicide of a Northern Territory constable is set to lay bare the challenges faced by police officers and whether more can be done to support those on the frontline.
Michael Deutrom took his own life in April 2022, about three months after taking personal leave from his posting in the remote community of Kintore, in the territory's south-west.
His death was one of three NT police suicide deaths in the first half of 2022, when two serving officers and one retired member took their own lives.
This week, Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage will investigate the circumstances of Constable Deutrom's death, and the systems in place to identify and address the cumulative effects of trauma on NT frontline workers.
Judge Armitage said she hoped the inquest would honour Constable Deutrom's legacy as an advocate for mental health in the Northern Territory Police Force.
"He wanted other officers to get help to deal with their exposure to trauma … and he wanted them to get help before their exposure to trauma developed into mental illness," she said on Monday.
"I hope that this inquest honours Mickey's wishes.
In a statement read out in court on Monday, Constable Deutrom's family said the death of their "special son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend" continued to have a "profound impact" on his loved ones.
"Michael was a generous person that gave so much to those around him," they said.
"He took his oath and vocation of policing seriously and he served the community of the Northern Territory with compassion, honour and dignity."
The family said they and Constable Deutrom's colleagues had been given "a commitment to real change in the Northern Territory police wellbeing space".
"We hope for a frank and honest exchange during this inquest, an acceptance and understanding of any shortfalls … and a future that mitigates the loss of lives through suicide and negative mental illness," they said.
Read the Deutrom family's full statement here.
Counsel assisting the coroner Chris McGorey said the Constable Deutrom had been exposed to a number of confronting jobs during his 23-year policing career, and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after taking leave from his Kintore posting.
He said there were three particular incidents the inquest would examine "to understand [Constable Deutrom's] feelings, perceptions, and how his injury progressed".
One of those events was a car fire Constable Deutrom attended at the age of 21, less than six months out of recruit training.
"It's a significant example of the type of job at a young age an officer's being required to confront," Mr McGorey said.
"Significant, as well, that nearly 23 years later Michael was continuing to turn to that event in his mind.
Assistant Commissioner Peter Kennon and an executive member of the NT Police Force's wellbeing division are among those expected to give evidence on Tuesday.
The inquest is scheduled to finish on Friday.
Read the Deutrom family's full statement:
Good morning your Honour,
On behalf of the Deutrom family we would like to sincerely thank you and your office for undertaking this inquest into the death of Michael Stanley Deutrom. Michael's death continues to have a profound impact on our family. Michael was a unique and special individual. As a family, we know that Policing in the Northern Territory is not easy. Our family has given more than 60 years to policing in the NT and this has come at a considerable cost to our family. We have lost a special son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and friend.
Unfortunately, the pain of Michaels loss is understandably still raw for our family and some of us are not able to bring ourselves physically to court today, but please rest assured we will be watching intently with interest and along with many online we hope for some good to come out of this process. … Michael was a generous person that gave so much to those around him, he took his oath and vocation of policing seriously and he served the community of the Northern Territory with compassion, honour and dignity.
When many police spoke and aspired to being engaged in community policing, Michael lived it and practiced it without fanfare or accolades. He didn't need a glossy brochure to tell him how to engage with the community. Whether it be honouring a commitment to pursuing justice for a domestic violence victim in court, mentoring junior police and or volunteering his own time to help children in remote communities learn how to read at their schools, he did it not because he was told to, but because it was the right thing to do. Michael spent hundreds of hours in this very courthouse pursuing justice for victims of crime, he was much loved and respected.
The exposure to cumulative trauma that police face is amplified by the sheer volume in the Northern Territory, it not only impacts those that served but leaves and indelible and often negative impact on officers, family and friends. Our officers are often pushed to exhaustion, fatigued and relied on to keep turning up. We know that the longer you serve in the frontline, the higher the chances are that your mental health will be negatively impacted. Michael was a career police officer who served in the frontline year after year. He had a genuine interest in his colleague's welfare, he regularly advocated for positive changes to frontline policing having earnt the right to speak with authority in this space.
Policing is difficult and does not come without risk, however when families handover their loved ones to serve and protect the community of the Northern Territory, they ought be satisfied that adequate systems are in place to mitigate the damage caused from exposure to cumulative trauma and workloads, and that adequate and appropriate assistance is given to officers and their families during their service when the time comes to transition out of policing.
At Michaels service, our family along with Michaels friends and colleagues were given a commitment to real change in the Northern Territory Police well-being space, we have been patient and hope that this promise is being materially honoured.
We hope for a frank and honest exchange during this inquest, an acceptance and understanding of any shortfalls, recognition of those that had helped Michael, a genuine commitment to change and a future that mitigates the loss of lives through suicide and negative mental illness outcomes for those that choose to serve and protect the community.