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Queensland Corrective Services “missed” multiple opportunities to intervene after concerns were raised about Aubrey Donahue’s mental health in the weeks before his death, a coronial inquest has heard.
The inquest at the Cairns Courthouse is examining the factors leading up to the death of the 27-year-old.
He was fatally shot after police broke into a bathroom where he had locked himself and his partner for several hours while holding a knife in Mareeba in March 2023.
Over the last nine days, the inquest has heard evidence that Mr Donahue appeared to be drug-affected and unwell during the incident.
On the final day of evidence on Thursday, the inquest was told Mr Donahue was due to complete his parole sentence three days after his death.
Brett Wilson, Queensland Corrective Services’ Far North Queensland regional manager, was questioned about the agency’s interventions.
The court heard Mr Donahue’s mother contacted corrective services in February 2023 with concerns about her son’s wellbeing.
Aubrey Donahue, 27, was shot dead by police after a four-hour siege at Mareeba in Far North Queensland on Saturday. (Supplied)
She again did so during a home visit two days before he was fatally shot.
Mr Wilson said there were two failed attempts to call him, but no subsequent home visits.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Melia Benn, asked Mr Wilson about what she described as “missed opportunities” and why no mental health referral was made or initial home visit.
“A family member reporting concerns — does that happen often?” Ms Benn asked.
“I wouldn’t say often, no,” Mr Wilson replied.
“Is that something you’d take quite seriously?”
“Yes.”
Asked whether more should have been done, Mr Wilson said “potentially, yes.”
The court heard Mr Donahue told a case manager he was “down and depressed”, but despite a discussion in which he agreed to attend formal counselling, no referral was made.
“Were you disappointed to see that a referral still hadn’t been made at this stage?” Ms Benn asked.
“Disappointed? I guess, yes,”
Mr Wilson replied.
The inquest took place over nine days in the Cairns Courthouse. (ABC News: Mark Rigby)
Mr Wilson agreed there had been “opportunities to improve” the management of Mr Donahue’s case.
“I do think some more collateral checking around what was being disclosed would have added more information to the broader assessment of Aubrey’s risk at the time,” he said.
Earlier this week, the officer, dubbed so147, who fired the fatal shot said he entered the bathroom, twice ordered Mr Donahue to drop the knife and fired in “one second”.
Family’s grief
Each day of the coronial inquest, family and friends of Mr Donahue have crowded the court in support.
Following the evidence, a statement from Mr Donahue’s family was read to the court by his uncle, describing their huge loss.
“He was our son, he was our brother, he was our uncle, he was our family,” the statement said.
“We ask that Aubrey not be remembered for the worst day of his life but for the many years he was loved.”
The courtroom was filled with more than two dozen of Mr Donahue’s family and friends during the inquest. (ABC News: Holly Richardson)
Outside court, Mr Donahue’s younger brother Grayson Elu said the family hoped the inquest would provide answers.
“He was a deeply loved human being,” Mr Elu said.
“The family memories that will never be created and the life he could’ve lived have been taken in the split second that changed everything.“
He hoped the inquest would improve the way in which people with mental health issues were treated.
The inquest has adjourned, with written submissions to be provided before findings are delivered at a later date.
