Coroner reveals cause of cop-killer’s death in prison
Rex Martinich |
A prisoner serving a life sentence for the shooting murder of a police officer during an armed robbery died from natural causes, a coroner has found.
Phillip Graeme Abell was 51 when he died while in custody at Caboolture Hospital, north of Brisbane, at 1pm on September 17, 2023.
Abell was jailed in 2013 after a jury found him guilty of the murder of Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding.
Det Sen Const Leeding, 35, was blasted with a shotgun after he was called to an armed robbery at the Pacific Pines Tavern on the Gold Coast on May 29, 2011.
He died three days later in hospital.
Queensland State Coroner Terry Ryan on Wednesday found there were no suspicious circumstances behind Abell’s death.
“I’m satisfied Mr Abell died from natural causes and that none of the correctional or health care staff caused or contributed to his death,” Mr Ryan said.
Counsel assisting Danielle Palmer earlier told Mr Ryan that Abell had been diagnosed with infiltrated hepatocellular carcinoma, an aggressive form of liver cancer, in February 2023.
Abell developed cancer from his other medical conditions while he was in Woodford Correctional Centre, Mr Ryan heard.
“(His doctor) was of the view that Mr Abell’s cirrhosis of the liver was most likely attributed to a historical hepatitis C infection,” Ms Palmer said.
Abell was receiving palliative care for stage four of the cancer when corrective services staff found he had died in his hospital bed.
He had been unresponsive and unconscious during the previous day when his partner visited the hospital.
Abell’s partner listened online as Mr Ryan handed down his findings.
Mr Ryan did not make any recommendations as part of the inquest into Abell’s death.
AAP