But even though there was no evidence the offender continued to speed or to drive dangerously after the first pursuit ended, NSW Police decided to begin a second chase, Deputy State Coroner Rebecca Hosking found.
Outside the NSW Coroner’s Court at Lidcombe, Lisa Jokinen embraces her late father’s partner. Credit: Jessica Hromas
The police car in this second pursuit reached speeds of 204km/h. A communication breakdown meant instructions on how to conduct the pursuit were not received by officers on the road.
“The risk posed by the pursuit was, in my mind, excessive,” Hosking found. She concluded it should not have been authorised under the Safe Driving Policy, which requires police to weigh the need to immediately apprehend an offender against the risks to the community, police and the offender.
But the coroner also called on the Commissioner of Police to introduce a new threshold for pursuits.
Under the new policy, police wishing to chase would need to be satisfied a “serious risk to the health and safety of a person” existed before the decision to intercept or stop the vehicle.
The recommendation repeated one that was handed down in 2022, after an inquest into the death of 22-year-old man Tyrone Adams, which police did not adopt.
Lisa Jokinen told the court her father’s presence “lit up every room, and his absence is a darkness that cannot be filled”. Credit:
Jokinen’s elder daughter, Lisa, told this masthead she felt “really let down” by police and hurt that officers attending the inquest left the courtroom before the family read their statements last month.
“Where’s the respect, or any form of accountability, by standing up and walking out when it’s actually time for the victims to have their say?” Lisa Jokinen said.
In her statement, she described her father as “gentle, kind and endlessly generous”.
Loading
“I hate that I will never get to see my dad again, I’ll never get to hug him, tell him I love him, and hear him saying it back,” she said. “On 30th December, 2021, I wish I had been killed too.”
Adamson told the court: “I am devastated we don’t get to grow old together”. She also said that when she learnt of Jokinen’s death, “my present and my future exploded into a million tiny pieces”.
She said she had little anger towards the driver who crashed into Jokinen, who has since been sentenced to more than 10 years’ jail for manslaughter and other offences, and who has apologised for his actions.
“I am angry at the NSW Police Force’s lack of reflection and inability to assess and learn from their actions in the events leading to Harri’s death,” Adamson said.
In a statement, NSW Police said: “a comprehensive review of the findings will be undertaken and all recommendations will be considered”.
Jokinen’s family said they would now seek to meet with either the outgoing Commissioner of Police Karen Webb or her replacement to discuss the findings.
“Historically, they’ve ignored coronial recommendations,” Adamson said. “That’s not good enough.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Read the full article here
