ALVA BEACH IN SPOTLIGHT
THE DOUBLE STABBING AT THE SLEEPY TOWN OF ALVA BEACH THREE YEARS AGO HAS BEEN A LONG AND COMPLICATED INVESTIGATION AND FINALLY THE FAMILIES OF THE TWO MEN WHO WERE KILLED ON THAT TRAGIC NIGHT ARE HOPING FOR ANSWERS WHEN DEPUTY STATE CORONER JANE BENTLEY D
IT has been almost three years to the day since Tom Davy and Corey Christensen died in a double stabbing at the sleepy town of Alva Beach, and their families are hoping the long wait for answers is now just days away.
Mr Davy and Mr Christensen were stabbed by Dean Webber, after they forced their way into his house to find Mr Davy’s girlfriend, Candice Locke.
Almost a year ago, the deaths on October 1, 2018 were dissected in a week-long inquest, in which bombshell evidence was aired.
But next week, Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley will at last deliver her highly-anticipated findings.
The families of Mr Davy and Mr Christensen are preparing for the worst, after key witness Mr Webber was excused from giving his side of the story due to his mental health.
Mr Davy’s mum, Heather and sister Katie spoke to the Townsville Bulletin in the lead up to the findings being delivered, saying that the family is convinced it will never get closure. “It will just be another day in hell for us,” Mr Davy’s little sister Katie said.
The night of the deaths centres around five key people – Mr Davy, his girlfriend Candice Locke, Mr Christensen, his friend Louis Bengoa, and a stranger, Dean Webber.
Mr Davy and Ms Locke met Mr Christensen and Mr Bengoa on the beach on the afternoon of September 30.
They invited Mr Davy and Ms Locke, who weren’t local, to a gathering at a vacant block to watch the footy.
They went, mingled and drank, but when Ms Locke become intoxicated and “vulgar” Mr Davy took off in his car.
Ms Locke went to find her boyfriend on a beach buggy with Mr Bengoa, but during the ride she fell and injured her shoulder.
The pair’s accounts from this point are at loggerheads, but Ms Locke was taken in by Mr Webber after she knocked on a random door
asking for help just after midnight.
After fetching Mr Christensen and Mr Davy, Mr Bengoa and the men went to Mr Webber’s house to try to retrieve Ms Locke, who they feared was injured.
Less than an hour later, Mr Davy and Mr Christensen would be dead.
Mr Webber has never been charged.
The lead up to the deaths was put under a microscope at the inquest last year, where Deputy State Coroner Bentley was asked to consider 10 main issues.
The Davy family, who live in New South Wales, won’t be able to attend the court next week to hear what the coroner finds, but they aren’t hopeful of any justice for their beloved Tom.
“We are really anxious. We don’t really know how to feel hopeful as we aren’t expecting anything to fall in our favour,” Katie said.
“I feel scared living in a place where you can call police and ambulances for help but they don’t come.
“We really can’t believe it’s got to this point. We are feeling really helpless.” The Davy family, together with the Christensen family, lost a legal battle to have Mr Webber take the stand.
He was excused because of severe PTSD, but Heather Davy said it was “unjust” to not hear his side of the story.
“It’s traumatising for all of us, we’ve had to show up every day and live with this every day,” Heather said.
“We are so affected by this, his death has left a huge hole in our lives.”
Mr Christensen’s wife, Jaye, has since moved away from Alva Beach with their three sons.
She hopes the coroner makes proper recommendations to investigate the evidence, which she says doesn’t add up.
“I hope the evidence that has been presented in the inquest has been considered and any decision made reflects this,” she said.
The findings will be handed down at Southport Courthouse on October 6.