Demographics
43y, male
Coroner
Decision ofDeputy State Coroner Lee
Date of death
2015-01-22
Finding date
2016-11-14
Cause of death
complications of thermal injuries
AI-generated summary
A 43-year-old man with a history of workplace injury, financial stress, and social isolation attended a workers compensation office in Newcastle carrying mineral turpentine and a cigarette lighter. After about 23 minutes in the reception area, he poured the accelerant on his clothing. QBE staff and police responded appropriately. Within 13 seconds of police arrival, he ignited himself causing full-thickness burns to 65% of his body. He died 3 days later from complications of thermal injuries. The coroner found no evidence that actions by QBE staff or police contributed to his death. Both groups demonstrated appropriate crisis response, with QBE staff providing compassionate engagement and police using swift, decisive action with available equipment (fire blanket, building fire extinguishers). The absence of a fire extinguisher in the police vehicle did not contribute to the fatal outcome.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Clinical conditions
53y · Male·Hanging
PE, aged 53, died by hanging in Parklea Correctional Centre on 3 February 2024, four days after entering custody for the first time on remand. The coroner found PE's death was self-inflicted at a time of emotional turmoi…
51y · Male·Hanging
A 51-year-old man with a complex mental health history and prior self-harm alert died by hanging in a correctional facility after a planned transfer. He requested protective custody following a physical altercation with …
43y · Male·methadone toxicity
Frank Coleman, a 43-year-old First Nations man, died of methadone toxicity after being supplied diverted methadone by another inmate while imprisoned at Long Bay Correctional Complex. Mr Coleman had repeatedly requested …
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. Some material may have been redacted or restricted by court order or privacy requirements. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction — report an inaccuracy here.