Daily Reporting: Jeffrey Winmar inquest, Day 8, April 10th, 2026

Disclaimer: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers please be advised this article mentions the name of an Aboriginal person who has died in custody. This article also mentions acts of violence. Accounts and names have been published with permission given to the author from the family.

Day 8 – 10th April

As we enter the courtroom this morning, seats on both sides of the courtroom are filled. Today is the final day of the inquest into the death of Jeffrey Winmar, a 28-year old proud Noongar man who died in custody following a police pursuit. Supporters have come to bear witness as Jeffrey’s family prepare to deliver their coronial impact statements to the Coroner. 

At the front of the court room, on a table before the raised bench where the Coroner is seated, sit two framed photographs of Jeffrey. In these photos, Jeffrey is smiling. Jeffrey’s smile is described by his family as infectious, and when you look at these pictures, it is easy to understand why. 

At some point throughout these coronial proceedings, these pictures of Jeffrey have been turned downwards. The Counsel acting on behalf of Jeffrey’s father, Jeffrey Pep Anderson, has told the Coroner that Jeffrey’s father believes this was done to protect the Victoria Police Officers involved in Jeffrey’s pursuit and arrest from having to view these photos, to minimise their discomfort. 

As part of this inquest, Jeffrey’s family have sat through the evidence of ten Victoria Police Officers involved in the planned arrest and police pursuit of Jeffrey. They have not been protected from hearing the final moments of the life of their son,their brother, their dad, their uncle, their loved one, as described by the Victoria Police Officers who pursued him.

***

When court resumes this morning, Coroner Sarah Gerbet and one of the counsels assisting the Coroner, Rachel Ellyard, addresses the court about the coronial impact statements that will be delivered by Jeffrey’s family later today. Ellayrd notes “the important but limited role” of these statements. 

The Coroner goes on to express: 

“It’s not intended to contain evidence or their or any views on the evidence, because that’s for submissions, really, and it’s the same for every family that appears before this court… It can contain criticisms of the court, that’s absolutely fine, criticisms of systems and political statements. It’s just not appropriate for it to contain any comments on the evidence, because that’s just not what it is for.”

Prior to the family impact statements, two final witnesses are called to give evidence, Senior Sergeant Inspector Bernard Thomas Jenkins and Detective Sergeant Anthony James Huppfield. 

At the time of Jeffrey’s death, Snr Sgt Jenkins held the role of Acting Inspector. Jenkins works for Victoria Police in the Research and Continuous Improvement Unit. According to Jenkins, this unit is responsible for producing research and reporting on the use of force.

Jenkins is asked a series of questions about when police are meant to turn their body-worn cameras on, in accordance with VicPol policy. 

Counsel Assisting: Would her honour be right to understand that if a police member has a body-worn camera, they would be expected to turn it on, whenever they were affecting an arrest.  

Jenkins: Yes, that’s correct.

Counsel Assisting: Whenever they were intercepting a car?

Jenkins: That’s correct.

Counsel Assisting: Whenever they were entering a property for the purposes of a search?

Jenkins: Yes.

We learn that the officers of the two police units who were present to conduct the planned arrest of Jeffrey were not wearing body-worn cameras because they were part of a cohort of police members, who were not defined as frontline officers in accordance with Victoria Police’s body-worn camera policy. 

Mr Cameron, one of the Counsels acting on behalf of Jeffrey’s father, Jeffrey Pep Anderson, asks Jenkins a series of questions about how frontline duties are defined by VicPol in their policy. 

Mr Cameron: Your answer seems to be saying, and I don’t mean to put words in your mouth, but [a planned arrest] may well be a frontline duty. It may well involve interactions with members of the public, but Victoria Police had to make a call about where they draw the line in terms of the rollout [of body worn cameras], and that’s why we’ve got the delineation between, for example, Uniform Units and INR units.

Snr Sgt Jenkins: That is fair. I would agree with that, yes.

Mr Cameron: Do you accept, then, that it’s a failing of the policy that applied at that time, that in this operation… other than the canine unit, there were no body-worn cameras whatsoever from any of the members?

Snr Sgt Jenkins: I’m uncomfortable to say that it was a failing. I don’t believe failing is the best way to answer your question. I think that the rollout is a process, and the organization has rolled out body-worn cameras based on its abilities, financial and practical, and we’re moving towards an improved process.

A report authored by the Liberty Victoria’s Rights Advocacy Project in 2022 found that the operation of body-worn cameras by Victorian Police Officers is “almost solely” determined by Victoria Police’s internal policy and guidelines.

In the same year, a Victorian auditor-general report found that VicPol officers did not turn on their body-worn cameras in 15% of the circumstances that they were meant to.

Ms Lardner, one of the Counsels acting on behalf of Jeffrey’s mother, Ursulla Winmar, takes over questioning the witness. 

Ms Lardner: The evidence before this inquest is that Jeffrey’s Aboriginality wasn’t considered in the planning of his arrest. If there was for example a policy document that said a police officer must wear a body-worn camera when they are engaging with an Aboriginal person, that would have required that those members did have a body-worn camera on that day for the totality of the arrest…

Counsel Assisting: I’m sorry to interrupt my learned friend, this witness has been called for a purpose relating to policies and body on camera footage. I accept I’ve interrupted my learned friend before she’s finished the question, but it sounded like it was going to be a question straying outside the scope of what this witness has come to ask about, which is matters relating to body-worn cameras…

***

Detective Sergeant Anthony James Huppfield is the final witness called to give evidence in this inquest. Huppfield currently works within the homicide squad and was the coronial investigator appointed to assist the Coroner in this inquest after a critical incident was declared. 

During Huppfield’s evidence we learn that photographs of the property where Jeffrey was first located by Victoria Police were not taken until the 16th of November 2023, seven days after Jeffrey’s death. Ms Wong, also acting on behalf of Jeffrey’s mother, Ursulla Winmar, questions Huppfield:

Ms Wong: Is it fair to say that your investigations weren’t directed towards the possibility of anything improper occurring on the day of 9 November? 

Hupfield: No, that’s not true. You talked about something improper. I’ve not seen any evidence of anything improper, and that’s why you weren’t focused on it.

Ms Wong: Is your evidence that you had in your mind didn’t suggest anything improper, and that’s why the investigation didn’t go down that road. Would that be fair to say?

Hupfield: Yes.

***

Before Jeffrey’s family share their impact statements, Mr Nathwani, one of the counsels acting on behalf of Jeffrey’s father, addresses the Coroner. 

Mr Nathwani: I’ve been asked by the family, now that no other police officers are giving evidence, if the images of Jeffrey can once again, be stood up in front of you.

Coroner: I think that’s the practice of the court. It’s not just for police witnesses.

Mr Nathwani: I certainly didn’t observe that in the six weeks I did here for the Veronica Nelson inquest.

Ms Wong, shares the coronial impact statement on behalf of Jeffrey’s Mother, Ursulla Winmar. We share parts of this statement below. You can read the full statement here. 

“I’m a single mother and single grandmother to 20 members of my family, and I work very hard to keep my family together, and it feels like I failed. I love my son so dearly, and he has been taken from me. He is no longer here to speak for himself. That is why I’m here to speak on his behalf.” 

I had hoped through this inquest process that we could bring the darkness to the light so that Victoria Police could correct their wrongs and make it right by owning up to what they did. I don’t feel like the officers have been truthful. 

Something happened to my son under the tree. I don’t know what happened because the canine officer with the body-worn camera was told to leave. The police officer who had his knee on Jeffrey’s chest says they didn’t use force, but the autopsy and the injuries Jeffrey had tell me a different story.

My son did not deserve to die for the warrants out for his arrest. My son didn’t deserve to have ambulances canceled twice while he was experiencing a life threatening, critical incident. He didn’t deserve to be treated as less than human and stripped of his human rights based on the color of his skin. As a First Nations man, my son, Jeffrey, was failed. If our system is so just and so right, then why do these deaths continue? Why is my son another statistic?”

Jeffrey’s little sister, Margaret Winmar, is next to share her impact statement with the Coroner. We share parts of this statement below:

“Jeff was my protector. I could be vulnerable and talk to him. He was my shoulder to cry on. He would keep me in check, and he was always someone I would go to for advice about anything and everything. Whenever I was in trouble, he would pick me up. Even in the middle of the night, and not get angry at me. His main focus was keeping me safe and bringing me home.

Jeff wanted to be a preacher and a football player. He wanted to make it to the AFL. He was really, really good. He played forward, kicking goals. He would teach the little boys and my younger brother, Philip and Eli, how to play football. Then things got hard. The one thing that kept Jeff going was his son, little Jeff. All he wanted to do was just be a father to him, and that’s what motivated him. That’s why we had conversations about his mental health and rehab. That was his main goal, to be a father, become a preacher and a footballer and a better version of himself.

It’s been really hard since Jeffrey passed away. Me and my siblings, we were really close. We would call every day and talk every day. Since he’s passing, we’ve all we’ve all separated. We went our separate ways. The first year I didn’t see my siblings or my Mum or Dad or the others for the whole year after the hospital and the funeral and everything after we buried Jeff.

I spent every day here sitting and thinking about my brother and how he would be, and what he was thinking. How scared he would have been. How his heart would have been racing, and how he would just be thinking, ‘where’s Mum?’.

The thought of being locked up caused fear, and Jeffrey was afraid that he would die in jail or by police, because of all our other family members dying by police. My mum’s brother, our cousins, including some that were close to Jeff. Our family dying by police, of course, that strikes fear in Jeff dying in the hands of police. His fear came true, and he had to face it. He had to face it alone.”

Jeffrey’s father, Jeffrey Pep Anderson, shares an abridged version of his impact statement with the Coroner. The full statement can be read here.  

“I have sat here in this court room for the last two weeks listening to the evidence and being respectful of the things that have been said and done here, even though there’s been upsetting and difficult moments. There’s been too many Blak deaths in custody. We need people to see it from our side. We need people to stand with us including the courts and especially the Coroner mob.

Jeffrey was a proud Noongar man. When he was in my care he was a funny, little outgoing boy. I had him trained as a boxer. Following that I encouraged him into his football. He’s got that many trophies, and that many medals at home. He represented his state in WA in under 16s. It was quite a bit of achievement what Jeffrey went through, and I’m glad I was part of his life to help him, encourage him and get him away from the negative things of life.

Since we lost Jeff and the inquest process started I’ve spent days and nights reading the brief that I was given by my lawyers. I’ve had sleepless nights trying to piece out what had happened on the 9th of November…I still don’t understand, but one day I will. 

I want to thank my lawyers and the fight they put up for us, especially to VALS. Love yas. I just want to go back home and move forwards, and encourage the rest of my children to live a good life and keep Jeffrey in our memories.” 

Before the coronial inquests closes, Jeffrey’s family share a video of him with the Coroner. In this video, Jeffrey is speaking to the camera and can be heard saying:

“I accept everything I’ve done. I accept everything I’ve done wrong. I love youse and I’m going to do it this time. I have to get right. In order to get right, in order to get my family back, I have to get myself back. I’m going to take it one day at a time, because you’ve got to crawl before you walk. Remember that. There is always sunshine after the rain. I couldn’t have done it without my mum and Jesus and then wanting it myself. Now I just need more support along the way.

Some advice to anyone who watches this. No matter what anyone thinks about you, it’s what you think about yourself, and it’s what you feel. If you feel down, you’re gonna be down. If you feel up you’re going to be up. If you think that you’ve lost, you will lose. Negative thoughts always bring out the negative in you. Positive thoughts will bring out the positive in you. Now, my advice, stay positive. Know where you’re going, know what you want in life, and know what you want, because if you don’t want something are you really searching for it. Know what you want and go and get it. 

I’m going for my baby, and taking my mom out of a stressful life. I’m going to have a Christian life. I want to be a footballer, and I want to be preaching the gospel in the name of Jesus Christ. So God bless you all out there, stay positive in Jesus’ name.” 

After this video is played, the court is quickly adjourned.

The Coroner does not acknowledge or thank Jeffrey’s family for sharing their impact statements. 

We send our love and strength to Jeffrey’s family and acknowledge their long and ongoing fight for truth-telling and justice for Jeffrey, a fight that doesn’t end here. 

#JusticeForJeffrey