Deceased
Arthur John Smith
Demographics
91y, male
Date of death
2018-07-25
Finding date
2021-05-07
Cause of death
Gunshot wound to the head
AI-generated summary
Arthur Smith, 91, fatally shot his wife of 68 years before taking his own life. He had recently undergone cardiac surgery and expressed concerns about losing independence and being forced into care. The couple faced financial stress, property maintenance challenges, and Mr Smith's rapidly declining health. While aged care services were being arranged following his hospital discharge, there were no identified warning signs of imminent violence. The coroner found no evidence Mrs Smith was aware of or consented to Mr Smith's actions. This case highlights how elderly couples experiencing health decline, financial stress, and resistance to relocation may be at risk, though clinical services involved were focused solely on health needs without family violence prevention consideration.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Clinical conditions
Procedures
73y · Male·Gregory Frank Burkhalter: carbon monoxide toxicity due to inhalation of carbon m…
Two elderly US-born residents died in a house fire caused by a 120-volt electric blanket operating on Australia's 230-volt grid, resulting in insulation failure and combustion. Mr Burkhalter (73) died from carbon monoxid…
83y · Female·Pulmonary thromboembolism due to aortic stenosis (recent transcatheter aortic va…
An 83-year-old woman with severe aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure died from pulmonary embolism one day after discharge following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI). Clinical lessons cent…
49y · Female·Coronary artery atherosclerosis in the setting of pulmonary valve replacement fo…
Carol Rae Street, age 49, died at Royal Melbourne Hospital on 13 September 2025, three days after undergoing percutaneous pulmonary valve insertion for pulmonary regurgitation related to tetralogy of fallot. She was foun…
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. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. 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 —