Source : Perth Now news
A Sydney man who murdered a teacher’s aide he met on a dating app had his risk understated by Corrective Services, an inquest has heard, after his previous dismissed domestic violence charges were overlooked.
Dannielle Finlay-Jones was killed inside her friend’s home in Cranebrook in Sydney’s northwest on the morning of December 18, 2022.
Ashley Gaddie, 33, killed the teacher after their third date.
Nearly four years later, Ms Finlay-Jones’ loved ones are attending a coronial inquest into her deat with the hopes of bringing much-needed domestic violence and bail reform in NSW.
On Tuesday, a former correctives officer told the inquest that in an immediate response to Gaddie’s arrest, the following day they undertook a review into his supervision.
They said the review found that Gaddie’s risk had previously been “misscored” during a sentencing assessment report for prior domestic violence offences, and placed him at a low risk.
He should, however, have been placed at a “low to medium risk”.
When asked how the misrepresentation occurred, the officer said some prior DV offences that were dismissed under the Mental Health Act (section 32) may have been overlooked.
“My recollection is it relation to Mr Gaddie … he had some offences dismissed under section 32 and they weren’t counted as offences … for the scoring of his prior offences when they should’ve been, they should’ve been counted,” she said.
“And they should have been counted because of the nature of the operation of section 32.”
The inquest was also told that typically two interviews would be held to assess Gaddie during the process, one in their office and one in the offender’s home.
However, Covid-19 pandemic rules at the time meant only one virtual meeting was undertaken with Gaddie.
The coronial inquest, which is expected to span five days, continues.
Horrific DV history
The inquest was earlier told the pair, who had met on Bumble, had spent the previous night before the murder together after Ms Finlay-Jones brought the tradesman to a Christmas party with her friends – the first time they had met Gaddie.
After the event, in which Gaddie drank about 15 beers and took prescription Valium, the pair went back to a friend’s home where they stayed the night, the inquest was told.
The following morning, her friends found Ms Finlay-Jones in the spare bedroom and performed CPR; however, she died and Gaddie had fled.
Gaddie was later arrested for her murder following a 12-hour stand-off with police in the NSW Blue Mountains.
He was later found dead in his jail cell, where he had been held on remand since his arrest.
Gaddie’s shocking history of domestic violence has also been aired during the inquest, with previous convictions of domestic violence offences, as well as six AVOs taken out against him by five different women, between 2016 and 2022.
He was convicted of five domestic violence offences including intentionally choke person without consent, damage property (DV), stalk or intimidate, common assault (DV), and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He has also been previously charged over assaulting and intimidating police officers.
At the time of Ms Finlay-Jones’ death, Gaddie was serving a two-year community corrections order for the domestic violence offences, and had two current AVO’s against him.
He was also on bail at the time over a June 2022 incident involving a separate woman.
“It was unknown to Danielle … she had no reason to think the man she met online and took to Christmas drinks was a man who posed a risk to her,” Donna Ward SC said.
Ms Finlay-Jones has been remembered as a “remarkable” young woman, who was “hitting her stride” at the time of her death and was deeply loved by her family, teammates and friends and was valued by her workmates and her community.
Ms Finlay-Jones, who was a keen soccer player, received recognition of 25 years of service at Ramsgate RSL Football Club, and had accepted a full-time position as a teacher’s aid at a southern Sydney school.
Domestic violence helplines
