Inquest into the death of Corey SELBY
Deceased
Corey Selby
Demographics
48y, male
Coroner
Decision ofDeputy State Coroner Forbes
Date of death
2023-01-19
Finding date
2024-08-30
Cause of death
Gunshot wound to the chest during a police operation
AI-generated summary
Corey Selby, aged 48, died from a gunshot wound to the chest on 19 January 2023 outside Tenterfield Police Station after deliberately provoking police to shoot him. He had a complex mental health presentation comprising depression, alcohol use disorder (consuming approximately a carton of beer daily by January 2023), and chronic back pain. After presenting to Tenterfield Hospital on 31 October 2022 threatening harm to himself and family, he was admitted involuntarily to Armidale Hospital's psychiatric unit but discharged as voluntary after 24 hours with a discharge plan for follow-up. An independent forensic psychiatrist noted the admission was a missed opportunity for more thorough psychiatric assessment and risk evaluation, particularly regarding access to firearms—an enquiry that should have been made but was not documented. However, the expert confirmed the overall psychiatric care met the reasonable standard of care. On 19 January, following an argument with his wife, Selby told her to call police saying he wanted them to shoot him. He then drove to the police station with an unloaded air rifle, raised it at officers, and was fatally shot. Police actions were entirely appropriate and compliant with policy. The coroner found this a tragic impulsive act driven by his complex mental health issues.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Depression
- Alcohol use disorder
- Chronic back pain
- Cognitive impairment
- Impulsivity
- Missed opportunity for detailed psychiatric risk assessment at Armidale Hospital
- Failure to enquire about firearm access during psychiatric assessment
- Gaps in mental health follow-up post-discharge
Full text
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