Details about the final moments of 22-year-old Gordon Copeland were aired Monday during the opening hours of a coronial inquest into his death.
The coroner is examining the efforts made by New South Wales Police to find the Gomeroi man, and whether authorities were in pursuit of him before he died.
Mr Copeland’s body was found submerged in the Gwydir River in Moree, three months after he ran into the river in wet conditions on July 10, 2021.
Earlier that night, Copeland and two others were seen by police in a black sedan and were followed until the car became bogged. The three then ran away from the police on foot.
Counsel Assisting Dr Peggy Dwyer said when police returned to the black sedan for a second time at 3:45AM to retrieve two pairs of shoes as evidence, they heard a “deep groan” consistent with a male voice, coming from the river.
The court heard that the two police officers who were there at the time are expected to tell the inquest that they started running along the levee bank, but the rain and mud made the ground difficult to get through.
Constable Nick Murray and Kobe Russell are expected to tell the inquest that they stopped at a point with lots of logs and debris, with the river flowing rapidly in front of them.
Their body-worn cameras were not activated during the second search.
The inquest is examining the actions taken by police after their interaction with Gomeroi man Gordon Copeland. Source: NITV: Sascha Estons
It's understood the only lighting equipment the officers had with them at the time were torches and they continued to call out to the person but didn’t get a reply.
The officers are further expected to testify that about 15 minutes later, their torches showed a young male of Aboriginal appearance was moving towards an island in the centre of the river, where the current appeared to be strongest.
It’s said they radioed in and waited until emergency services arrived at about 4:15 that morning.
Was it a pursuit?
Over the next six days, the inquest will examine whether the black sedan was involved in a police pursuit or simply being followed.
Today, the first witness, Leading Senior Constable Crystal Manusu from New South Wales Police gave evidence, and maintained they were simply following the car.
She told the inquest she saw the car, and that she knew it was exceeding the speed limit when it “accelerated harshly” after slowing at a local Moree intersection.
She had two junior officers with her at the time, one of whom she was training.
“I think we all noticed that the vehicle took off," she said, “and I followed.
“I think I asked [one of the probationary officers] to get on the radio and ask where the other cars were and if they could come and assist,” Ms Manusu said.
A radio call was today played in court, in which both the junior officer and Ms Manusu were heard notifying operators of the car and where it was going.
A rally held after Mr Copeland's disappearance. Source: freelancer
Ms Manusu told the inquest she wasn’t in pursuit because she hadn’t asked the vehicle to stop and would’ve declared a pursuit if she asked it stop and it took off.
She said she was trying to get close enough to identify the car's registration number and see whether it was stolen, as there were many stolen cars found in that area at the time and that she estimated her police car didn't get closer than 200 metres from the black sedan.
When Counsel Assisting, Dr Peggy Dwyer asked Ms Manusu if she thought it was hard for people to reconcile that she was following the car but not in pursuit, she said: "I have not thought like a civilian for over a decade".
"I understand that the public might find it confusing not knowing police policy and legislation," she told the inquest.
She also said she is "very well aware" that calling a police pursuit presents risks to the occupants of the car being chased, including injuring passengers in the car and members of the community.
The riverbank
Leading Senior Constable Crystal Manusu was also today questioned about her decision-making after Mr Copeland was heard groaning from the river earlier in the night.
Body-worn footage was played in court which shows Constable Manusu reacting to information about Mr Copeland at around 2.40AM.
After being told he was in the "river somewhere", Manusu questioned whether he could be hurt.
"Yes there's water, There was a splash, then moaning and groaning for about 2 minutes."
She was asked if she became concerned for the welfare of the male who was in the river.
Mr Copeland with his partner Josephine and their son. Source: Supplied: family
"I had formed an opinion on the officers being down there for some time and not locating him that he had made good on his escape... which is not uncommon.
"I had confirmed details with the officers, I was processing a lot of information at the time," she said.
She told the inquest she believed the officers had been in the area for 20-30 minutes searching after they had learned Mr Copeland had gone over the embankment, so she believed they couldn't find anyone.
Constable Manusu said she didn't leave until she confirmed details that were not shown on the body-worn video, such as how far downstream they had searched and the time.
She said none of the officers told her they had seen someone inside the river.
She said she believed strongly that the person had escaped, and didn't go down to the river to check the conditions after receiving the from the probationary information.
"Obviously with hindsight and with the information I have now, I should've," she said.
"If I knew someone was in the river, I would have never left," she said.
Constable Manusu went down to the river again after learning that the probationary officers had seen someone in the river.
The inquest continues.
