Coroner's Finding: Hawkes, Michael John
Deceased
Michael John Hawkes
Demographics
70y, male
Date of death
2021-01-12
Finding date
2024-07-29
Cause of death
head, neck and chest wounds inflicted by Robert Harold Gerard
AI-generated summary
Michael John Hawkes, aged 70, was killed in a violent home invasion and attack by Robert Harold Gerard on 12 January 2021. Gerard attacked Mr and Mrs Hawkes at their rural home in Reedy Marsh, Tasmania, striking Mr Hawkes in the head with a club and subsequently stabbing him in the jugular vein. Mrs Hawkes survived with a non-lethal head injury. Gerard was arrested the following day. The coroner found that Gerard, who had a history of mental illness, substance abuse, and violence, was solely responsible for the death. Gerard was on bail at the time for a prior wounding charge and was subject to a police family violence order. This case does not involve clinical medical error, diagnostic failure, or healthcare system issues. The death resulted from criminal homicide.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
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