David Dungay Jr. - 29 December 2015

22 November 2019

Findings of the Coroner's Court of NSW from the Inquest into the Death of David Dungay: please click here

Coronial Inquest Delivers No Respite for Dungay Family, photos by John Janson-Moore: please click here

Facebook Posts by Charandev Singh in album: "Justice Denied for David Dungay Jnr ~ Dharug Country, 22/11/19"
'What am I meant to do now? Go home, look at the ground. Tell my Uncle? — Sorry, Unc, there's no justice here!'
- Paul Silva, David Dungay's nephew

“If Aboriginal men held down a white man until he was dead, where do you think those men would be? In jail for life. I’m his mother and I want justice. I am going to fight until I live in a country where black lives matter”
- Aunty Leetona Dungay, David Dungay’s mother

Paddy Gibson on facebook 22 Nov 19
It was surreal today sitting in the Coroner's Court witnessing the whitewash of a murder happening in front of our eyes. David Dungay's cell in Long Bay prison hospital was raided in December 2015 by a screw riot squad because he refused to give up a packet of biscuts. They held him down while he screamed "I can't breathe” - until he perished. A key issue during the inquest was, who ordered the cell raid? The nurses and doctor denied ever requesting the raid. The screw in charge of the riot squad insisted that the medicos asked him to go in.

In his findings today, Coroner Lee found the head screw to be an "unreliable" witness, who's testimony didn't match up with CCTV and other evidence. Lee found that the cell raid was unauthorised, a clear breach of policy and procedure, entirely unnecessary and undertaken with a full understanding of the potential for harm to come to David.

And yet... this gutless Coroner did not even recommend any internal disciplinary action or further investigation of the cell raid. The only staff member that copped any consequences was a junior nurse - a migrant worker who already would be stood over by the racist screws. Coroner Lee refused to even entertain consideration that charges might be laid out of the inquest and used procedural bluster to try and justify this. The system is rotten to the core. As David’s nephew Paul screamed at the end of the proceedings, "you are all here protecting murders". Massive respect to this incredible family who have endured so much and continue to fight on for justice.