1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: It was one of the Northern territories most famous criminal cases. 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: British backpacker Peter Falconio murdered on an outback road while 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: his girlfriend was kidnapped but managed to escape. Joanne Lee's 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: witness account eventually leading to the arrest and conviction of 5 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: Bradley John Murdoch. Now, yesterday, a coronial inquest into the 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: convicted murderer's death was held. ABC Darwin Court reporter Olivana 7 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: Lothoris tuned into the inquest and she joins me on 8 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: the line right now. Good morning to you, Ollie. 9 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, thanks so much. 10 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: For your time. Now. I know it's been a case 11 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: that's captivated the world's attention, partly due to the fact 12 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: that Bradley John Murdoch never revealed the location of Peter 13 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: Falconio's body, and the inquest heard some pretty interesting things 14 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: regarding police final attempts to get that closure for the 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: British man's parents. 16 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, this was sort of this chud bit of 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 2: information which came out in an in quests that really 18 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 2: wasn't expected to sort of reveal anything shocking. Bradley Murdock 19 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 2: was suffering from an aggressive form of cancer. His death 20 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 2: certainly wasn't a surprise, and so the inquest was just canvassing, 21 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 2: you know, a little bit about his care and what 22 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: happened in the last few years of his life. But 23 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 2: what we heard from council assisting yesterday was that police, 24 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 2: as you say, made these two final desperate attempts, literally 25 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 2: days and weeks before Bradley Murdock passed away last year 26 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: to try to get him to reveal where Peter Falconio's 27 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: remains are. And one of those attempts involved two police 28 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 2: officers going to the prison and trying to or attempting 29 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: to play him this video that was recorded with the 30 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 2: help of UK police of Peter Falconio's parents. We heard 31 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 2: that was a video that was really for Bradley Murdoch's 32 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: eyes only, and they wanted to go there and play 33 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 2: that to him, and he essentially refused to watch it 34 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: and just maintained that he's innocent, as he has done 35 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 2: since the day one of this whole story and this 36 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: whole saga. 37 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: Wow, So he refused to watch it, according to what 38 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: you heard yesterday. 39 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 2: Absolutely refused to watch it. And then again police made 40 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: a second attempt. This was I think six days before 41 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 2: he died. At this point, Bradley Murdoch was in palliative 42 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 2: care in the hospital. They literally essentially went to his 43 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 2: hospital bed, but we heard that visit lasted just thirty 44 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: seconds and he essentially told police to get out and 45 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 2: then he didn't want to talk to them. And all 46 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 2: I could think when I was listening to this was 47 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 2: just this desperation by both the loved ones of Peter 48 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 2: Falconio and Joe Ann Lee's as well as the police 49 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 2: to just try to get Bradley Murdock to cooperate, and 50 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 2: those efforts really going to his dying day. 51 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: Jeez, it makes you I can't begin to imagine really 52 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: how the families would feel, but it'd make you angry, 53 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: it'd make you sad, There'd be so many emotions. So 54 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: I would imagine for. 55 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 2: Them absolutely, you know, just listening to that. You know, 56 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: we didn't hear what was in that video, but you 57 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 2: can imagine. I mean, if two parents are willing to 58 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 2: sit down and record a video with police, they're really 59 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 2: doing absolutely everything they can to try to get that 60 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: last bit of closure. And yeah, that really came across 61 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: in yesterday's inquest. 62 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: Was that quite a surprise, Olie. You know, you've been 63 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: covering this for quite some time, you know, in terms 64 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: of the different reporting over the years. I mean, was 65 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: that quite a surprise to hear that at the inquest yesterday. 66 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 2: It was you know, it wasn't something that was talked 67 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 2: about at any great lengths, but as soon as it 68 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 2: came up, you know, I think everybody's ears in the 69 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 2: room really pricked up, and it, Yeah, it is sort 70 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: of a little glimpse into something that we haven't heard, 71 00:03:58,000 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 2: you know, up until this point. And as you say, 72 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: this cases made headlines for as long as it's been happening, 73 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 2: and so to really get to now this point in 74 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 2: an inquest that, as I say, really wasn't expected to 75 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 2: be anything sort of shocking. It was just sort of 76 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 2: this little insight into this thing that has just continued 77 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: to sort of capture people's attention. And there's clearly something 78 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 2: that police and investigators are still trying to get to 79 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: the bottom of. And that is something that is a 80 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 2: really sort of unique feature of this story in this case. 81 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Olie, you touched on this before, you know, 82 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: some of what was said about Murdock's states, But what 83 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: did the inquest sort of here regarding his deaths. 84 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, so the majority of yesterday's inquest was really just 85 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,280 Speaker 2: submissions from our council assisting. Most of this inquest has 86 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 2: been done through documentation, so lots of documentation from ANTE 87 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: Health and TEA Corrections, really looking at what the last 88 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 2: the years of Bradley Murdoch's life looked like, and particularly 89 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 2: focused on his medical care. We heard that his son, 90 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 2: Quintin Murdoch, who was actually on the video link audio 91 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: video link to listen in to yesterday's proceedings, had been 92 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 2: interviewed by police and he'd sort of expressed some concerns 93 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 2: on behalf of the family about the treatment, medical treatment 94 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 2: and care that his father received both at the clinic 95 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: at the prison in Alice Springs and also at the 96 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 2: Alice Springs Hospital. There were a number of concerns raised 97 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: about delays to his diagnoses, his cancer diagnoses, treatment, access 98 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 2: to medication, and various other sort of concerns and that 99 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 2: was something the inquest looked at. But what we heard 100 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: yesterday was that and what the coroner found ultimately was 101 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 2: that Bradley Murdock received a very high level of care. 102 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 2: He received as higher level of care as anyone would 103 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 2: regardless of the fact that he was serving a life 104 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 2: sentence in prison and essentially that he was treated really 105 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 2: with compassion and care by both health staff and correction 106 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: staff at the prison. 107 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: Now why look, you know there'll be people listening this 108 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: morning thinking why exactly was there an inquest held? I mean, 109 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: is it was there something to question or is it 110 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: something that needs to happen when somebody is a prisoner 111 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: and they pass away. 112 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, great question, Katie. Well, because he was even though 113 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 2: he died in palliative care in hospital, because he was 114 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,799 Speaker 2: still serving that life sentence. He was twenty two years 115 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 2: into that life sentence for the death of Peter Falconio, 116 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 2: it was still considered a death in custody and all 117 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 2: deaths in custody asked object to mandatory coronial inquest. So 118 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 2: this is just something that has to happen. And Katie, 119 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 2: to be honest with you, there are lots of inquests 120 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: that happen, probably more than people realize, and we just 121 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,479 Speaker 2: don't pay any attention to them. But of course, because 122 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 2: of just how significant this story has been for the 123 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 2: Northern Territory and for Australia and really on an international level, 124 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 2: there was much more attention paid to it than probably 125 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 2: what would normally be for one of these mandatory coronial inquests. 126 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: It is very interesting stuff. Well, Olivana Lethoris, court reporter 127 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,679 Speaker 1: with the ABC. Lovely to speak to you as always, 128 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having a chat with us 129 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: and letting us know more about this inquest. 130 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 2: Always a pleasure, Katie, thank you, thanks so much.