Coronial inquest begins into Queensland terrorist attack that killed two police officers and a neighbour
A coronial inquest begins today into a religiously-motivated terrorist attack on Queensland's Western Downs that killed two police officers and a neighbour. Reporter Antonia O'Flaherty has more from Brisbane.
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00:00The Queensland coroner will be examining the evidence into that deadly shooting at the
00:07Wianbilla property on Queensland's Western Downs and that happened on the 12th of December
00:12in 2022. Now, what we do know is that four police officers went to that property of Gareth
00:18and Stacey Train to conduct a missing persons check on Gareth's brother Nathaniel, but police
00:25were met with an ambush and constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were fatally shot
00:31and the other two police officers were seriously injured. Their neighbour, Alan Dare, attended
00:37the property as well after hearing the gunshots and an explosion and he was also shot. So
00:43the coroner will be examining the circumstances around the deaths and also how the trains
00:49acquired the weapons that were used in that shooting. Now, on the evening of that shooting,
00:56police raced to the scene and there was a six hour siege that was brought to an end
01:02when police shot dead Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel. Now, this inquest will also be examining the
01:09police processes that led the officers to the property in the first place and the police
01:14response. And Antonia, the family has spoken today. For the first time, we heard from the
01:22families of the two slain police officers. Now, Judy McCrow, the mother of Rachel McCrow,
01:28spoke outside court here ahead of the inquest starting today and she spoke about the overwhelming
01:33grief that the families have suffered. Here's what they had to say. Rachel and Matthew were
01:39our gorgeous children who we miss so much. There's no escaping our devastating loss,
01:46the all-consuming grief and the tears. Our collective heart remains broken beyond repair.
01:55We've been robbed of a beautiful, caring daughter, a son who loved life and had so many adventures
02:02ahead of them. What unfolded in Wianbilla on December the 12th, 2022, should never have happened.
02:10We've never spoken directly to the media before, but today's different. As hard as it is to stand
02:17here, we know how important it is. That's because we don't want the loss of Matthew and Rachel to be
02:24in vain. We must persevere through our pain to honour their memory and strive for a safer tomorrow.
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