<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="" title="Police"><span>Police</span></a><span> knew of "high risk" domestic violence complaints against a man weeks before he set his estranged wife on fire and killed her, a coroner has heard.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kelly Leigh Wilkinson, a 27-year-old mother-of-three was repeatedly stabbed, doused with petrol and set on fire by Brian Earl Johnston at her Arundel home on the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/gold-coast" rel="" target="" title="Gold Coast"><span>Gold Coast</span></a><span> on April 20, 2021.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/queensland" rel="" target="" title="Queensland"><span>Queensland</span></a><span> Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher today opened an inquest at Southport into Wilkinson's death and the police's response to her prior domestic violence complaints.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attack-iran-live-updates-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/95e0f1d7-cdf4-42ad-866d-569779885e71" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump warns the 'big wave' yet to come in war with Iran</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>WORLD:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attacks-iran-donald-trump-iran-latest-previous-comments-on-iran-war-barack-obama-jd-vance-kamala-harris/86dc4c3e-43fd-4ba4-ad86-ec1da170f16b" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump's past comments on Iran come back to haunt him</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Johnston had been subject to a domestic violence order when he murdered her.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was also on bail accused of sexually assaulting Wilkinson.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/kelly-wilkinson-inquest-mother-of-threes-pleas-labelled-lower-priority-before-murder/1d62a782-f9ef-4615-bc1f-5fdc4ab74910" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Counsel assisting Sarah Lane said the inquest also proposed to look into whether the police acted in accordance with their procedures and policies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Detective Inspector Sue Newton testified about the police ethical standards command's investigation into Wilkinson's case, noting the couple's first contact with </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="" title="police"><span>police</span></a><span> was about three weeks before the murder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Johnston initially contacted officers in anticipation that Wilkinson would accuse him of rape, she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He had concerns for the safety of the children," Newton said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wilkinson was designated as a "high-risk aggrieved" person, while the Gold Coast Domestic Violence Prevention Centre urged police to produce a "high-risk response" to her being in danger.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"(Police) put a high-risk flag on her name and residence," Newton said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/tropical-cyclone-queensland-moderate-chance-of-system-forming-in-coral-sea-weather-news/ba7fb3c7-3d60-4a6c-a680-d91f2d826274" target="_blank"><strong><span>Cyclone threat puts northern Australia on high alert</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ovarian-cancer-screening-test-research-study-university-of-queensland-health-news/f233e0f9-7cd4-4eac-8ec6-b57c69044641" rel="" target="" title="Groundbreaking Aussie test 'picked up 100 per cent of early ovarian cancers'"><strong><span>Groundbreaking Aussie test 'picked up 100 per cent of early ovarian cancers'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wilkinson contacted police on April 1 to report Johnston had breached a protection order after he got a third-party to contact her about returning his property and getting access to the children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Officers were tasked with responding to Wilkinson's complaint as a "lower priority" job.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There was no indication her complaint should have been treated as urgent, but the officers making the decision would not be aware of her "high risk" of domestic violence, Detective Inspector Newton said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The coroner responded: "You are going to have to explain that to me."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It would take more than a week to provide evidence about that decision, the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="" title="police commissioner"><span>police commissioner</span></a><span>'s barrister Michael Nicholson told Gallagher.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wilkinson was later accused of "cop shopping" by police, who did not act on her complaints days before her badly burnt body was found outside her home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The officer who made the comment was later the subject of a disciplinary interview, Detective Inspector Newton said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The words to us were not appropriate to be used for a domestic violence situation," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>No officer received disciplinary action as a result of the case but two were given remedial training, Detective Inspector Newton added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Johnston, a former </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> marine, later entered Wilkinson's home wearing black clothing and a black mask while carrying a backpack with a hatchet, duct tape, zip ties and sedatives.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wilkinson's body was found outside her home and her killer was found nearby after he collapsed and suffered burns in the fire.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Johnston </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-news-man-jailed-for-pure-evil-murder-setting-wife-kelly-wilkinson-on-fire/390804fa-8b44-4399-bc24-eb4122060e49" rel="" target="_blank" title="was jailed for life in March 2024 after pleading guilty to murder"><span>was jailed for life in March 2024 after pleading guilty to murder</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><span></span></em><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></li><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> 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