Inquest into the Death of Sara-Lee DAVEY
Deceased
Sara-Lee DAVEY
Demographics
21y, female
Date of death
1997-01-14
Finding date
2016-08-19
Cause of death
unascertained
AI-generated summary
This coroner's inquest examined the 1997 disappearance and presumed death of Sara-Lee Davey, a 21-year-old Aboriginal woman from One-Arm Point, Western Australia. She was last seen on 14 January 1997 at Broome Wharf after meeting Richard Edward Dorrough, a naval seaman, at a bar. Witnesses heard a woman screaming and a splash after they went behind a shed. Dorrough returned alone with unexplained scratches. The coroner established beyond reasonable doubt that Davey died on 14 January 1997, but could not determine the cause or manner of death to the required legal standard, despite strong circumstantial evidence suggesting Dorrough's involvement. Initial investigation was hampered by unreliable witness sightings and eventual discounting of sightings by credible witnesses. Dorrough later admitted in a suicide note to killing three times but was never charged in Davey's death.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- violent confrontation at Broome Wharf
- possible intoxication of deceased
- tidal conditions conducive to body being swept out to sea
- incomplete initial police investigation
- unreliable witness sightings that deflected investigation
Coroner's recommendations
- Further investigation should be conducted if additional evidence becomes available regarding the circumstances and cause of Sara-Lee Davey's death
Full text
Related cases
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 —