‘Significant failures’ in police probe of man’s death
Two of the last people to see Simon Gaskill alive were police.
Officers dropped off the 50-year-old homeless man near where he was later found dead, but did not record the interaction or report it to the coroner until two years later.
Police also did not notify Mr Gaskill’s family of his death until four days after his body was found on April 15, 2022, and destroyed his phone after his death.
When Mr Gaskill’s body was found by a walker in the dunes at Ocean Grove beach, south-west of Melbourne, it was so severely decomposed that the cause of death could not be determined.
In the years before his death he had suffered from deteriorating mental and physical health, including alcohol and drug problems, and was sleep deprived.
The police handed over the evidence and belongings found near the body to his family.
These included a backpack, laptop and personal documents; The family then sent them to the police to reopen the investigation.
These were among the “significant shortcomings” in the police investigation after Mr Gaskill’s death, coroner Ingrid Giles said when delivering her findings following an inquest on Friday.
“There were significant failings in the initial police investigations into Simon’s death, which led to the appointment of a number of forensic investigators, with the involvement of the Professional Standards Command and the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission,” he said.
The coroner has taken the “unusual” step of ordering the Victoria Police superintendent to pay the legal costs of Mr Gaskill’s sister Amanda, who appeared in court on Friday.
Ms Giles said although police did not find that his actions led to the death, it was unreasonable for them to “initially fail completely” to investigate, investigate his death when it first occurred and report his interactions before he died.
“Ms. Gaskill was instrumental in providing evidence that led to the reopening of the investigation and drawing the court to light on the deficiencies, which ultimately resulted in two internal reviews of the investigation.”
He said Mr Gaskill was also failed by Barwon Health after he was discharged from hospital in December 2021 without noting his homeless status or recommending outpatient appointments.
“I think there needs to be clear processes to meet the support needs of vulnerable patients like Simon in these circumstances,” Ms Giles said.
The coroner made 10 recommendations to chief commissioner Barwon Health and the Victorian government, including that police review their policies and guidelines on the management of seized property.
He said uniformed police members should be reminded of their requirements to record and report operational duties, including properly documenting incidents and turning on body-worn cameras.
Ms Giles suggested Victoria Police’s handbook requires officers to check databases for interactions with that person after a person is found dead when reporting the death to the coroner.
It also called for Barwon Health to review its outpatient processes and better train its staff in providing care to patients experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Outside court, Amanda Gaskill said she hoped the findings would help families of vulnerable people ensure police failures were not repeated.
“After four very long, troubling and grueling years, we are very grateful that some dignity has been restored to Simon and the circumstances surrounding his death, despite the initial failures of Victoria Police in their initial investigation,” he said.
“Simon was a beloved son, a beloved brother and uncle, a gentle soul, a good friend, easy-going and a lover of surfing and nature.
“As a family, we hope we honor his memory as we fight for the truth and for the correction of failures.”
Victoria Police expressed their condolences to the Gaskill family and said they were particularly sorry they had to wait so long for answers.
“We will now take the time to fully consider the coroner’s recommendations,” a spokesman said.
