The family of a mother stabbed and set alight by her estranged husband are seeking answers after evidence emerged of police dismissing her domestic violence complaints.
Kelly Wilkinson was accused of “cop shopping” by Queensland Police who did not act on her complaints days before her badly burnt body was found outside her Gold Coast home, a pre-inquest conference was told.
Wilkinson, a 27-year-old mother-of-three, was repeatedly stabbed, doused with petrol and set on fire by Brian Earl Johnston at her Arundel home on April 20, 2021.
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Johnston had been subject to a domestic violence order and was on bail, accused of sexually assaulting Wilkinson, when he murdered her.
Wilkinson’s family said they wanted to learn details about the police review into the handling of her domestic violence case at an upcoming inquest into her death.
Wilkinson’s sister Danielle Carroll said police review details had so far been kept hidden from the family.
“We are very interested to see what’s in it,” she said outside Southport Coroners Court after the pre-inquest conference today.
“There’s a lot we have not been exposed to yet. There is still a lot for our family to process and go through.”
Carroll said she was seeking closure at the inquest, the final stage of a series of court proceedings.
“There’s still a lot of information we don’t know,” she said.
“Hopefully we can learn something and move forward and make the world a bit safer for other victims.”
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Queensland Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher today heard Wilkinson told a domestic violence prevention centre she was fearful of Johnston because he had military training and had threatened to kill her many times.
Counsel assisting Bernhard Berger told the pre-inquest conference police had not acted when Wilkinson complained nine days before her death about Johnston allegedly breaching a domestic violence protection order by contacting her.
“Records will reveal that the (Southport Police Station) officer has concluded the file with a comment that is quite critical of Kelly,” Berger said.
“He comments ‘it appears she is cop shopping to get the outcome she wants’.”
Gallagher heard Wilkinson, assessed by the prevention centre as facing a high risk of violence, had earlier complained about protection order breaches at Runaway Bay Police Station.
Berger said the officers’ actions at the stations were initially upheld by a police review.
One week later, Johnston, a former US Marine, entered Wilkinson’s home wearing black clothing and a black mask while carrying a backpack with a hatchet, duct tape, zip ties and sedatives.
Wilkinson’s body was found outside her home with Johnston located nearby by police after he collapsed and suffered burns.
Johnston was jailed for life in March 2024 after pleading guilty to murder.
Berger told Gallagher the inquest also proposed to look into whether the police response to domestic violence complaints about Johnston were in accordance with procedures and policies.
“(The second issue) is whether the Queensland Police Service has made appropriate changes to training, policies and procedures to address any shortcomings identified in respect of domestic violence,” he said.
Queensland Police solicitor Tahlia Boettcher did not speak at the pre-inquest conference today.
Gallagher adjourned the matter for a three-day inquest to start on a date to be determined.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
Help is available from the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
