Inquest for Gore toddler expected to take five weeks
An inquest into the cause of death of a 3-year-old boy is now expected to take five weeks, and will be held in two sittings.
Lachlan Jones was found dead late on the evening of January
29, 2019, face down in a council oxidation pond near his home in Gore.
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that an inquest into his death will be held in two sittings in the Invercargill District Court. The first hearing will take three weeks, beginning on April 29, while the second hearing will take two weeks, beginning on August 5.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson was unable to say why the inquest has been divided into two hearings.
Lachlan’s father, Paul Jones, said he understood the first hearing would involve the factual witnesses, and the second would involve expert witnesses.
“All the people who say they saw Lachie on the day he died will go first, and then the experts after that,’’ he said.
In August, Coroner Alexander Ho issued a minute ordering the inquest, which listed nine people whose names were redacted, who would be afforded “interested party’’ status at the inquest, and a further 26 witnesses whose names were also redacted, who would also be called to give evidence.
Coroner Ho, who is conducting the inquest, has also granted interim name suppression to a person associated with the case.
However, that person’s evidence and any criticisms of it during the inquest are able to be reported by the media.
Coroner Ho visited Gore in January and walked the path police allege Lachlan took to the ponds where he
“I’m counting down the days until it begins, ticking them off as they go. I want some answers, finally.’’ Paul Jones
was found. A media application for Stuff to photograph the coroner’s visit was declined.
Jones said the visit took “several hours’’ and it appeared the Coroner “had a good look around’’.
Jones has spent more than four years fighting for an inquest, after he disputed the findings of two police investigations, which determined that there was no evidence of neglect or criminal liability in relation to Lachlan’s death.
“I’m counting down the days until it begins, ticking them off as they go. I want some answers, finally,’’ he said.
Also in August, police admitted they “missed some steps’’ in relation to their investigation into Lachlan’s death.
Southern Police district commander Paul Basham had requested a national investigations overview of police’s handling of the investigation into the death and self-referred the matter to the Independent Police Conduct Authority to ensure an independent process was also carried out.
The IPCA and Basham have been contacted for comment about the progress of those investigations.