Police officer did not admit suicidal thoughts to social worker leading up to his death

The serving police officer was cleared for duty by a psychologist months before he died. Photo / NZME

WARNING: This article deals with suspected suicide and could be distressing.

The welfare adviser of a policeman who died says the officer never admitted to having suicidal thoughts during their sessions together.

“He had been vulnerable. He had shared emotions with me, and I had no reason to believe he was dishonest,” the adviser told an inquest into the officer’s death today.

“There was nothing I observed to indicate he was at risk,” the social worker said.

The serving police officer died in 2018 amid the breakup of his marriage and allegations he had assaulted his wife and children.

His identity, along with those of all witnesses, is suppressed.

The inquest in front of Coroner Marcus Elliot heard the officer was referred to the welfare adviser by his police supervisor in late 2017 for support with his marital issues.

They were in regular contact through to 2018 when the man had entered a new relationship, was keen to be back at work, and was clear about wanting to be a good father to his children, the adviser said.

She said she saw no reason to escalate the case to the man’s GP or community mental health services at the time.

“If we knew he was suicidal we would wrap around him and make sure info is shared. We take risks very seriously,” she said.

The lawyer assisting the coroner, Julie-Anne Kincade, pointed out the officer was motivated to “show he was fine, to present a front” to stay fit for frontline duty.

The social worker nodded. “Yes,” she said.

A psychologist had cleared the man for duty in the months leading up to his death, before he was stood down again after his estranged wife applied for a protection order against him.

The ex-wife told the inquest on Monday she did this to restrict the man’s access to firearms, fearing it put her and their children at risk.

The social worker said she did not contact the man’s wife directly even though she knew from a third party that his wife had flagged his suicide risk more than once.

That would have required his consent, she said.

“It was pretty evident it was acrimonious. I was sure if I asked [he] would not agree,” she said.

The night he died

The police officer died in October 2018 after spending the day with his children and the evening drinking with friends.

He crashed into a parked car on the way home and called a friend in distress before hanging up.

Police went to his home after receiving a 111 call about the crash. The officer was found there and pronounced dead at 12.30am the next day.

Yesterday his wife told the inquest she flagged his potential suicide risk with his employers in the months before he died, but no one got back to her.

She said the support his employers gave him was “collusive” and “fuelling” his paranoia.

But asked if she thought the police had acted in bad faith, she said no. “They were just trying to protect him,” she said.

The inquest continues.