He was not involved in the day-to-day work of the strike force and left the homicide squad before it completed its work,but said his intention was that it would be a genuine reinvestigation.
Willing was taken to an internal police document in August 17,2016,which said of persons of interest in Neiwand:“None known at this stage.”
‘[It’s] pretty breathtaking ... isn’t it,that internally the NSW Police,not having spoken to one person of interest ... would just reverse the decision of the coroner? It’s extraordinary,isn’t it?’
Supreme Court Justice John Sackar
“There were 50 to 100 persons of interest at least known,weren’t there?” counsel assisting the inquiry,Peter Gray,SC,asked.
“Yes,” Willing said.
The inquiry heard that internal police documents later suggested police noted or followed up a small number of persons of interest.
In April 2017 police decided to stop work on the Mattaini case,the inquiry heard,because his cause of death could not be determined. Willing took on a new role in the force that month.
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Neiwand would later conclude internally that Russell’s death “should be reclassified as ‘undetermined’ despite the 2005 ‘homicide’ findings of the Coroner”,and the investigation listed as “inactive and only reactivated if new and compelling evidence becomes available”. Warren’s death should remain “‘undetermined’ despite the 2005 ‘homicide’ findings of the Coroner”,police said.
Willing said he was “surprised at those conclusions” and he “wasn’t aware of them at the time”.
Supreme Court Justice John Sackar,who is heading the inquiry,said:“[It’s] pretty breathtaking ... isn’t it,that internally the NSW Police,not having spoken to one person of interest ... would just reverse the decision of the coroner,she having sat for a very long period and having heard a lot of witnesses? It’s extraordinary,isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Willing replied.
Gray asked:“In your experience,have you ever seen the like before?”
“Not in my experience,” Willing said.
Asked if police had any obligation,other than courtesy,to tell Milledge about Neiwand’s conclusions,which “effectively reversed” her findings,Willing said:“No,because matters are reviewed and looked at as a matter of course by unsolved homicide.”
The inquiry continues.
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