The director of public prosecutions has been asked to consider whether criminal charges should be laid over the death of an Aboriginal teenager who was killed when the trail bike he was riding collided with an unmarked police car in Sydney.
On Tuesday, the New South Wales state coroner, Teresa O’Sullivan, suspended the inquest into the death of Dunghutti teenager Jai Kalani Wright and referred the case to the DPP.
Wright, 16, died while riding in Eveleigh in February 2022.
The inquest, which had only started on Monday and was set down for two weeks, was expected to investigate issues including the roles played by police officers in the collision and whether it was appropriate for them to attempt to stop Wright, the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), which was representing Wright’s parents in the proceedings, said.
In a statement, Wright’s parents, Lachlan Wright and Kylie Aloua, asked family and friends to respect the referral process.
“Almost 2 years ago, we received a call, one of the calls that as a parent you never want to receive, about Jai having an accident. We rushed straight to the hospital and we were by our son’s side as he passed away.
“Ever since then, we have been searching for the truth. We need to know the truth so that we can live our lives and move forward.
“This referral has given us a lot of hope, we have faith that we will get justice for Jai. I would just ask all our family and friends to let this process play out … and believe that at the end we will get our truth and get our justice.”
Karly Warner, the CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), said that Wright was one of at least 558 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died in custody and police operations in three decades since the royal commission.
“Scrutiny and accountability are essential in stopping this national shame,” Warner said.
“The Aboriginal Legal Service is proud to stand alongside Jai Wright’s family and community. We share their immense grief and determination to ensure what happened to Jai never happens again.”
The inquest heard on Monday that NSW police believed the bike Wright was riding had been stolen, along with a black Mercedes and a white BMW, on the morning of the collision.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Peggy Dwyer SC, told the court on Monday that officers were ordered to stay in the area but not to pursue the stolen vehicles.
But soon after, according to CCTV and in-car video footage played to the court, Sergeant Benedict Bryant could be seen swinging his unmarked police car in front of the trail bike, which then collided with it at high speed.
Dwyer said Bryant did not activate his lights or siren.
The DPP previously considered the case but decided against charging Bryant.
Additional reporting by Australian Associated Press.
