Police challenge over death in custody dismissed

The Supreme Court in NSW has dismissed a challenge by police to limit the scope of a coronial inquiry into the death of Aboriginal woman Tammy Shipley in custody in 2022.

An inquest into the death of Ms Shipley was adjourned on Friday after NSW police tried to stop the coroner from questioning their role in the lead up to Ms Shipley’s death.

Ms Shipley died in her cell at Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre in December 2022.

The inquest, which began over a year ago, was adjourned after council for the police argued that the actions of officers were ‘too remote’ from the death as to what the coroner to look at.

But Supreme Court Justice Richard McHugh dismissed the application, finding that their actions were within the bounds of the inquiry.

The judgement read: “The matters which the Coroner has indicated that she proposes to pursue and decide in the course of the inquest bear a sufficiently close connection to Ms Shipley’s death … Those matters are within jurisdiction.”

Ms Shipley’s mother Vicki Shipley said it was important for families to have all the answers, “not just some of the answers”.

Ms Shipley suffered from acute mental illness and her illness was known to police.

The inquest will resume at a date yet to be decided.

“We are hoping to finalise the inquest after a year of added delays, so that the Shipley family have a better understanding of the circumstances of Tammy’s passing,” Chief legal officer for the Aboriginal Legal Service Nadine Miles told the ABC.