Cops differ on footy player’s death

THE charges against a driver accused of hitting former Burleigh Bombers player Sam Brown with his taxi were dropped after the prosecutor dismissed a key police witness as unreliable.

The revelation was made on the fourth day of the inquest in Southport Coroner’s Court into Mr Brown’s death on November 25, 2012, on the Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach.

Mr Brown, 20, died in hospital of severe head injuries. What caused those injuries is still unclear.

Detective Sergeant Danny Vovodick told the coroner yesterday he was adamant Mr Brown had been struck by taxi driver Julian Hartley. However, forensic crash investigator Senior Constable Steve Cornish maintains the injuries Mr Brown suffered could not have been caused by a car.

In 2015, police charged Mr Hartley over Mr Brown’s death. The charges were later dropped by prosecutor Josie Salzman after she declined to call Snr Const Cornish as a witness.

Ms Salzman said yesterday she found Snr Const Cornish to be unreliable after a single phone conversation with him.

The prosecution later admitted to key facts found in Snr Const Cornish’s report. The inquest continues today.