Kelly Wilkinson was turned away at Southport police station and told to “calm down and give Brian a break” as she sought help just four days before her ex-husband Brian Earl Johnston burned her to death in 2021, an inquest heard.
The allegation was made in an extraordinary last-minute submission by the lawyer representing his family when they requested that the coroner’s inquest be adjourned to hear additional evidence about the allegation.
Mitch Rawlings, acting for the family, said Queensland Police’s claim that April 12, 2021 was the last time Wilkinson contacted police was false.
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She said that she also went to the police station on April 16 – four days before her murder – but that there is no record of that attendance in the internal police system.
“One of Kelly’s sisters drove her to the Southport police station, where she remained in the car while Kelly got out of the car with some documents,” Rawlings said.
“She returned to the car moments later and complained that the person at the front desk turned her away saying words like, ‘Just calm down, give Brian a break,’ words to that effect.”
Rawlings said Wilkinson then called two more people and repeated the same story.
He said Danielle Carroll had made the allegation in a recorded interview with police after Wilkinson’s death.
Thursday was scheduled to be the final day of a three-day hearing into Wilkinson’s murder in 2021, when Johnston stabbed her, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire at her Gold Coast home.
Deputy coroner Stephanie Gallagher already heard this week that police missed two opportunities to act in the days before Wilkinson’s death.
Johnston was wrongly granted bail by an officer eight days before he murdered Wilkinson on April 20, 2021, the court heard on Wednesday.
Another officer incorrectly recorded Wilkinson’s attendance at Southport and noted in an internal police log that he was “shopping cops”, because he had previously attended another station on the same day.
The investigation continues.
In Australia, the national family violence advice service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit Women’s Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.
