The Truth About Amy - Episode 11: Grim details emerge of Amy Wensley’s partner David Simmons shooting pet dog

A new witness has described how David Simmons — the partner of the young West Australian mother who died from a gunshot wound to the head ten years ago — shot a pet dog in the head just months before his partner’s suspicious death.

Seven’s smash-hit podcast The Truth About Amy is now the number one ranked True Crime podcast in Australia – and the second most listened to podcast in the country.

And that growing interest has led to fresh information surfacing for investigative journalists Alison Sandy and Liam Bartlett to investigate about the death of mother-of-two Amy Wensley.

In this week’s episode, Amy’s close friend ‘Mon’ tells her story of what she observed of the 24 year-old in the months before her death.

And in disturbing detail, she tells of one incident which chilled her – involving a dog called Bella, just months before Amy’s death in 2014.

“We had to look for another home for this, for this dog, David approached us and said .. she’d be a perfect dog for him … and he took her.

“A few months go by, and then I realised when I’m going around there that I’m not seeing Bella, so I asked Amy … and she started crying.

“She said Simmo took us out bush with the dog — and he shot her in the head. He said the reason was she kept escaping.

“Right there in front of her neighbour … shot the dog in the head and left the dog out in the bush.”

Mon also told of witnessing strangely jealous behaviour from Simmons, and her pleas with Amy to leave him.

“I begged for her to just leave him as she deserved so much better. She was beautiful. She could get anyone that she wanted,” Mon said.

Amy never did leave, even though on the night she died her car was packed with her belongings, and her two children were in the vehicle waiting for.

They remained in the car as Amy suffered the catastrophic gunshot wound to the head in her own bedroom. Police who attended first had immediate suspicious.

But detectives who arrived moments later almost immediately decided the death was a suicide, which meant neither homicide detectives nor forensic officers did not attend.

Amy’s mother, who had rushed to the scene and immediately confronted David Simmons, was also not interview until months later – when she revealed a frantic phone call on that night where Amy had also told her she was leaving for good.

Charandev Singh, a family violence advocate who has helped many families including Amy’s, says the unequivocal evidence gathered since her death showed she was fleeing on that night.

“After Amy’s death, I finally got to see her handbag … evidence was available to the police for many years … and right at the top of her personal things was her passport,” Mr Singh said.

“You’re looking at what absolutely mattered to Amy in the rush to escape and to see that passport tells you a few things and it tells you that she’s not coming back.”

Mr Singh was not only critical of the police, but also those involved in the inquest into Amy’s death, which eventually recorded an open verdict — refusing to conclude suicide, but also concluding there was not enough evidence to conclude foul play.

The last witness scheduled to be called at that inquest was David Simmons. He did not appear on that day, and when that was revealed the lawyer representing WA Police opposed a bench warrant which would have forced him to attend.

“The inquest was a trial, a conviction, and an execution of Amy Wesley, nothing less. (And) the police saying,: “We really don’t need to hear from Mr. Simmons”.

“I think the coroner’s inquest completely failed to apply a specialist domestic violence lens over all of Amy’s help seeking behavior.

“So I don’t think the coroner finding reflects at all the deep violent reality of Amy’s death.”

*If you knew Amy.. and have information about her death – you can email thetruthaboutamy@seven.com.au. You can also send us an anonymous tip at www.thetruthaboutamy.org