Ambos locked out after triple-zero call, coroner told
A woman who fatally self-harmed at an asylum rang triple zero but a locked door delayed paramedics reaching her for an hour, a coroner heard.
After Toko-Harieta Maki self-harmed, asylum center staff were finally able to get in with a key, Northern Territory Prosecutor Elisabeth Armitage said in Darwin on Monday.
While paramedics attempted to treat her, police handcuffed Ms. Maki, 33, behind her back to stop her attempts to harm herself, according to attorney Chrissy McConnel.
The coroner is examining whether authorities met their obligations in caring for Ms Maki at a center in the Greater Darwin area.
On Monday, the court heard Ms. Maki’s triple zero appeal on July 25, 2024, in which she said, “I am saved by the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The operator told him to unlock the door and wait for help to arrive.
The court heard that a second team was called due to mechanical problems with an ambulance prepared to respond, but faced further delays because the door to the shelter was locked.
CCTV footage shows two paramedics entering the room, leaving the room 33 seconds later, closing the door and immediately calling the police to say Ms Maki was still actively self-harming.
Then the door was locked.
The court heard Ms Maki, from New Zealand, was assessed overnight at the Royal Darwin Hospital before getting a room at the shelter.
The court heard Ms Maki was upset about not being able to gain custody of her son and made a three-zero decision by self-harming the next morning.
Ms McConnel told the court that when her door was unlocked an hour after the interview, she was handcuffed and sedated but went into cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated.
The court heard Ms Maki had a history of mental health, self-harm, domestic violence and alcohol abuse problems.
The investigation will examine whether agencies recognized the level of risk in Ms Maki’s case and acted quickly enough to respond.
These included questions about the one-hour delay in reaching him after his triple zero call.
Counsel for St John Ambulance told the court the paramedics involved were faced with an extremely distressing situation but provided the best care they could under the challenging circumstances.
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