A Victorian coroner’s court has been told that Dezi Freeman — also known as Desmond Filby — directed abusive language at a dying police officer as the shooting that claimed two officers’ lives unfolded near Porepunkah last August. The details emerged during a directions hearing on Monday, the first formal coronial step toward a full inquest into the deaths of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35.
What the directions hearing was told #
A coronial directions hearing is a procedural listing — not a full inquest — during which the coroner sets the scope, timetable and parties to an upcoming inquiry. It is, however, a public proceeding, and Monday’s hearing ventilated a number of significant details about the sequence of events on the day of the shooting.
The court was told that Freeman is alleged to have yelled abuse at one of the officers while that officer lay wounded and dying at the scene. VCN is not in a position to repeat the precise language attributed to Freeman, as those specific words remain subject to ongoing coronial process and their full context will be tested in a later, full hearing. The court was also told that the two officers had attended the area as part of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault of a child — a matter that, because it involves a child complainant, VCN cannot report further under the statutory identification protections that apply to child victims of sexual offences in Victoria.
Who were Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart-Hottart? #
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson had served Victoria Police for more than three decades. Aged 59 at the time of his death, he was an experienced investigator who had dedicated much of his later career to child protection work. Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, was described by Victoria Police in the days after the shooting as a dedicated officer who had served in regional policing. Both men were shot and killed while performing their duties in the alpine foothills near Porepunkah, in the state’s north-east, in August last year. Victoria Police said in a statement at the time that officers had been called to the area as part of an active investigation.
Their deaths prompted a large-scale manhunt across north-east Victoria and southern New South Wales, one of the most significant law-enforcement search operations in the state’s modern history.
What happened to Freeman? #
Freeman evaded police for approximately seven months following the shooting. Victoria Police said in subsequent statements that officers located him at a makeshift campsite roughly 150 kilometres from the Porepunkah scene. Freeman was shot dead by police at that location. The circumstances of his death will also form part of the coronial inquiry — it is standard practice in Victoria for the coroner to examine any death at the hands of police, regardless of the circumstances. Those findings are a matter for the coroner and have not yet been made.
What is a coronial inquiry and why does it matter here? #
Under the Coroners Act 2008 (Vic), the coroner has a mandatory obligation to investigate any death that is unexpected, violent, or occurs in circumstances that may be connected to the conduct of a public body — including police. In this case, the inquest will examine at minimum four deaths: the two officers, Freeman, and potentially any other person connected to the sequence of events.
Importantly, a coronial inquest is not a criminal trial. The coroner cannot find a deceased person guilty of a criminal offence, nor can findings at inquest be used as admissions in civil proceedings. What the coroner can do is make findings of fact about how, when and where a person died, identify any systemic failures or contributing circumstances, and make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future. For Victorians who follow the courts, the inquest will be the primary public mechanism through which the full circumstances of this tragedy are examined and recorded.
It is understood the inquest could take some time to complete, given the number of deaths involved and the complexity of the surrounding investigation. Monday’s directions hearing was described by the court as a first step in scoping that process.
What the directions hearing does and does not resolve #
VCN notes that a directions hearing is not a findings hearing — nothing said on Monday constitutes a formal coronial finding. Allegations outlined to the court remain allegations. The full inquest will give parties including the families of the deceased officers, Victoria Police, and any other properly interested parties the opportunity to adduce evidence, call witnesses, and test what occurred. Legal representatives for several parties were present at Monday’s hearing.
Because Freeman is deceased, he cannot be charged with any criminal offence. No criminal proceedings are on foot in respect of the Porepunkah shooting itself, and the coronial process is therefore the primary — and likely only — public forum in which the facts will be formally examined.
The broader context: police deaths and coronial scrutiny in Victoria #
The deaths of Thompson and De Waart-Hottart were the first on-duty police killings in Victoria in more than a decade. They prompted a public outpouring of grief and a significant debate about the risks faced by investigators working in regional areas — often with limited backup and in response to volatile domestic and family situations. Victoria Police said in public statements after the shooting that its officers had followed appropriate protocols, though it acknowledged, as is standard practice, that the Professional Standards Command would conduct its own review of the incident.
VCN understands that the question of how the officers came to be in the position they were — the level of advance threat assessment, the availability of tactical support, and the decision-making chain — is likely to be squarely within scope for the inquest. Recommendations arising from such findings can carry significant weight with the state government and with Victoria Police command, even if they are not legally binding.
What happens next #
The coroner is expected to issue formal directions following Monday’s hearing, setting out a timetable for evidence gathering, witness lists, and any preliminary legal argument. A date for the substantive inquest hearings has not yet been publicly announced. VCN will continue to report on the proceedings as they become public.
The families of Senior Constable De Waart-Hottart and Detective Leading Senior Constable Thompson have not made public comment in the lead-up to Monday’s hearing. Victoria Police said in a statement that it would continue to support the families of both officers throughout the coronial process.
The matter is currently before the Coroners Court of Victoria. All coronial findings are a matter for the coroner alone. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Support services #
This article discusses the deaths of police officers and references an alleged sexual assault of a child. Readers who are affected by the content of this article are encouraged to contact a support service:
- Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
- Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636
- 13YARN — 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
- 1800RESPECT — 1800 737 732 (sexual assault and family violence counselling)
- Sexual Assault Crisis Line (Victoria) — 1800 806 292 (24/7)
- Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre — 1800 015 188 (24/7)
- Crime Stoppers Victoria — 1800 333 000 (to report information to police)
