Delayed police response under investigation after Casino mother allegedly beaten to death
Just why it took NSW Police almost an hour to respond to a triple-0 call before they arrived at a Casino home to find badly injured mother-of-three Sarah Miles will be the subject of an independent probe.
Miles, believed to be in her 40s, died after she was allegedly beaten by her boyfriend in a home on Johnston St in the town southwest of Byron Bay, on Saturday morning.
A triple-0 call was made at 1.30am after neighbours reportedly heard screams coming from the home, but NSW Police didn’t acknowledge the call until 2.25am.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.After acknowledging the call, police took minutes to arrive at the home where they found Miles fighting for her life in her final moments.
She was unconscious but breathing, with “obvious injuries” to her head caused by a physical assault, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said.
“Police assisted her and called for an ambulance immediately (which) arrived very shortly after, but unfortunately, her condition deteriorated, and she died at the scene,” McKenna said.
“The delay in the timing of police acknowledging that call and attending the scene has given me enough concern that I’ve asked for an independent review of this investigation as to what that delay was and if it was justified.
“We want to see what happened from the time that call was made, how the radio operator dispatched that call, the circumstances around the timings until it was acknowledged and until police attended.”
The NSW Police Homicide Squad is working separately with local officers to investigate Miles’ death.
Her partner, Dwayne John Creighton, 31, was arrested at the scene and taken to Lismore Police Station, where he was charged with one count of murder.
He is believed to have been in a relationship with Miles for some months, McKenna said.
McKenna said the force takes domestic violence very seriously and the issue is at the “top of our priority list”.
“It is one of the most serious crimes there is, and we will do everything we can to take this as seriously as we can and make sure people are held to account and put before the courts,” he said.
- With AAP
