New police investigation launched after sister reveals alleged officer misconduct in Kelly Wilkinson murder case

An explosive 11th-hour claim has triggered a fresh police investigation into the handling of domestic violence complaints made by murdered Gold Coast mother Kelly Wilkinson, halting the final moments of a three-day coronial inquest into her death. Ms Wilkinson was murdered by her estranged husband, former US Marine Brian Earl Johnston, who broke into her backyard, doused her in petrol and set her alight. She suffered catastrophic burns and later died. Johnston has since confessed and is serving a life sentence. The dramatic twist came just after Ms Wilkinson’s sister, Danielle Carroll, delivered an emotional victim impact statement to the court. There were tears across the courtroom as Ms Carroll described her sister as “a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother”. “Kelly was just 27 when she left us. So much life left to live with a bright future,” she said. But as the inquest at Southport Coroners Court appeared to be drawing to a close on Thursday, proceedings were suddenly delayed for lengthy discussions between legal parties. When court resumed, counsel assisting the family Mitch Rawlings made an urgent application to halt the inquest, revealing new information had just been relayed to him. Mr Rawlings told the court that Ms Carroll told him that on April 11, 2021, nine days before her sister was murdered, she and Ms Wilkinson went to a police station together. Ms Carroll reportedly said she stayed in the car while Ms Wilkinson went inside to provide documents relating to an existing complaint against her estranged husband. It is not known what the documents contained. However, Ms Carroll alleged a counter officer told her sister to “cool off” and “Give Brian a break” and turned her away. Ms Wilkinson then returned to the car visibly upset, telling her sister what had happened before ringing others to relay the same account. The allegation was not previously canvassed during the inquest. Mr Rawlings told the court that including the claim would allow examination of whether the counter officer acted appropriately and whether police might have arrested Johnston based on the information she had attempted to provide. The court had already been told of two “missed opportunities” in the lead-up to Ms Wilkinson’s death. This new allegation, Mr Rawlings submitted, could potentially amount to “a third missed opportunity”. The revelation has automatically triggered a new police investigation into the alleged conduct of the counter officer. The family “strongly” supported an adjournment of the inquest so the claim could be properly examined. After a brief adjournment, Coroner Stephanie Gallagher decided that adjourning the inquest was appropriate to investigate the new claims. The stunning development came after two days of evidence examining Queensland Police’s interactions with Ms Wilkinson in the weeks before she was stabbed and set alight outside her Arundel home on April 20, 2021. Earlier in the inquest, the court was told he had been wrongly granted station bail after being charged with rape, a decision that should not have been made under the Bail Act. A temporary protection order had been in place and police had categorised the situation as high-risk domestic violence. Evidence was also presented about a subsequent report of alleged breaches of a domestic violence order being recorded as intelligence rather than as an occurrence, meaning no officer was formally tasked to investigate it. Two officers were disciplined over their handling of Ms Wilkinson’s complaints, including a senior detective who breached legislation by granting Johnston bail after charging him with four counts of rape. Before the shocking development, the focus returned to Ms Wilkinson not just as a victim of domestic violence, but as a mother, sister and daughter whose absence continues to define her family’s lives. “There are no words for the way she suffered in her last moments,” Ms Carroll said. Ms Carroll also described the ongoing toll on the wider family. “The ripple effect this has had and continues to have is immeasurable and at times we have to live hour by hour and sometimes minute by minute.” “Losing someone to such a brutal murder is a different beast. It is unforgiving.” “For every milestone and achievement of her children, I stand with them and celebrate, but it should be her.” “We will never stop missing Kelly and that really hurts the most.” The inquest has been adjourned until a later date.