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Coroner's Finding: LOCKWOOD Andrew James

Deceased

Andrew James Lockwood

Demographics

49y, male

Date of death

2017-04-02

Finding date

2021-05-28

Cause of death

Shotgun wound to the head

AI-generated summary

Andrew Lockwood, a 49-year-old man with depression and significant marital discord, died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head on 2 April 2017. He had been diagnosed with major depression and alcohol dependency in 2014 and was prescribed sertraline in December 2016. His treating doctors assessed him as having only fleeting, non-intent suicidal ideation and deemed him not actively suicidal. Clinical lessons include the importance of comprehensive suicide risk assessment when patients present with major depression, marital breakdown, and alcohol use disorder. Although clinicians noted severe stress, anxiety, and depression on structured assessment tools, the focus on stated intent and absence of active suicidal ideation may have underestimated cumulative risk. The coroner found no obligation for doctors to report to firearms authorities given the documented low-risk assessments at the time, and found no preventability in the death.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.

Contributing factors

  • major depression
  • alcohol dependency
  • marital breakdown and separation
  • death of pet dog in days preceding death
  • significant alcohol intoxication at time of death (blood alcohol 0.19%)
  • access to firearms
  • obsessive focus on marital reconciliation
  • years of family conflict and history of intimate partner abuse
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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.

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