Day one of inquest into Lynn Cannon’s death to focus on WA Police’s role in responding to her murder

November 11

Whether WA Police could have helped save the life of murdered mother Lynn Cannon – and the confused response to her family’s attempts to get her help – will be the key questions at this week’s inquest into her horrific death.

Ms Cannon was one day on from her 51st birthday when she was stabbed to death by her ex-husband Paul in December 2022.

She had left their abusive marriage after 25 years and had moved on with another partner.

Camera IconLynn Cannon Credit: WA Police/WA Police

He was still obsessed, angry and upset – sending threatening and abusive messages and paying her unwanted visits.

On the morning of December 5, he brought a knife with him. Despite that, she still tried to placate him and intended to give him a car.

But after going to his house later the same day, his anger did not subside – and arguments could be heard for hours.

At 7.30pm that evening, Lynn’s sister Christine Holmes rang police with her concerns – telling them she was at her ex’s house, she was not replying, and he had been seen with a knife.

Just over an hour later, she was dead.

And it is what police did in that time which coroner Sarah Linton will investigate this week.

“The circumstances of Lynn’s death, which involved brutal acts of family and domestic violence, were harrowing and shocking. Lynn’s death is an example of the insidious and destructive impact family and domestic violence has on our community,” counsel assisting Sarah Tyler said.

“The central question to be considered in this inquest is: “Was there a missed opportunity on the part of the WA Police to save Lynn’s life?”

“That is, could there have been a more efficient or effective response to calls regarding concerns for Lynn’s welfare, and in that context, did any action or inaction on the part of a member of the Police Force contribute to Lynn’s death?”

In her opening, Ms Tyler detailed how the initial call from Ms Holmes prompted a priority 2 task to be assigned to the call – which means an attempted attendance by police in 12 minutes.

But it was then downgraded to a Priority 3 job, meaning a 60-minute response. Moments later, police recorded “no assets available.”

Meaning all nine cars in the Joondalup policing district were occupied. The inquest was told 230 000 calls were received there that evening, in contrast to a forecast of 89.

Ms Tyler also revealed that after Ms Holmes had given a slightly wrong address in her initial call, she later rang again to correct it – information that was never passed on.

As a result, another officer changed Ms Cannon’s job address to her home address in Butler — rather than where her family knew she was, in Landsdale.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconShe had left their abusive marriage after 25 years and had moved on with another partner. Credit: Lynn Cannon/Facebook

By the time a police car was dispatched at 8.25pm – to the Butler address – Ms Cannon had already been fatally injured.

And even reports from neighbours about screaming – and an eye-witness account from Mr Cannon’s landlord who had actually witnessed the stabbing – did not receive an immediate police response.

One car was eventually dispatched to Landsdale, then diverted to another job, and then diverted back again.

And an ambulance officer tasked to go to the bloody scene tried – and failed – five times to contact police on a dedicated line before ringing 000 himself.

“The paramedic made a quick safety assessment and then bravely decided to enter the house alone. He was worried there was a chance Lynn was still alive and that she was in urgent need of medical treatment, so he chose not to wait for police,” Ms Tyler said.

“The first police vehicle arrived one hour and 14 minutes after Ms Holmes first raised concerns about her sister’s welfare with police — and around half an hour after Lynn had been stabbed and the neighbours and housemate called the police.”

Witnesses to be called will include police involved in the call-outs, including the officer who failed to pass on the change of address. An internal affairs investigation led to his censure.

Senior officers will also give evidence of changes in WA Police policy since Ms Cannon’s death, which continues to devastate her close family – who watched on Monday dressed in red. Their sister’s “power colour”.

“On that night that my sister was murdered, decisions made by certain individuals took away any chance of my sister surviving,” her sister Jacqui Darley said.

“What we are hoping for today is that those individuals have the humility to be able to admit their failures and that Lynn can become the face of change because changes need to be made.

“Sometimes it’s the attitudes that need changing, complacency. She could have been with us had people just listened and acted on those calls that were made.”

Source link

#Day #inquest #Lynn #Cannons #death #focus #Polices #role #responding #murder

Pelican News

Source Link