‘Critical incident’: Woman’s body found
Written by admin on June 29, 2024
A near one-hour delay in the police response time to a triple-0 call will form part of a “critical incident” investigation after a woman was found dead in a small town in NSW early Saturday morning.
NSW Police attended an address in Casino, about 720km north of Sydney, at 2.27am for a welfare check, finding a woman in her 40s unconscious with injuries to her head.
The police called for an ambulance, but her condition deteriorated and she died at the scene.
The police have charged a 31-year-old man with her murder and have confirmed the man and woman were in a relationship.
NSW Police Northern Region Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said a triple-0 call was made to the police shortly after 1.30am, but the police only acknowledged the call at 2.25am.
“That has given me enough concern to ask for an independent review … what was that delay and whether it was justified or otherwise,” he said on Saturday afternoon about 3pm.
A critical incident review brings in external investigators to assess how the police responded to an incident, and whether there were any failures in the response.
A team from the Byron Police District will examine the response and the Professional Standards Command will oversee the investigation.
The investigation will be subject to an independent review, the police said.
The priority level given to the call will form part of the investigation, Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said.
The officers who attended the address were in a nearby area when they responded to the call at 2.25am, the assistant commissioner added.
It is not clear where or from whom the triple-0 call was made.
The police do not believe there was anyone else in the house at the time.
A crime scene has been established. The state homicide squad is investigating with Richmond officers.
It is the second alleged DV murder to hit NSW in just two days after a woman was found dead in Sydney’s inner west on Thursday, allegedly at the hands of a housemate.
Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said the police not “tolerate” DV.
“We take domestic violence extremely seriously,” he said.
“We will not tolerate domestic violence in any way, shape or form.”
