In the days before she was murdered by her estranged husband, Kelly Wilkinson, a 27-year-old mother of three from the Gold Coast, visited several police stations seeking help but was turned away, an inquest has heard. Official police notes described her pleas as 'cop shopping', according to reports.
On April 20, 2021, former US Marine Brian Earl Johnston tied Ms Wilkinson to a clothesline in the backyard of her home in Arundel and set her on fire. He pleaded guilty to her murder at the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday, weeks before his trial was due to start.
Ms Wilkinson's family is pursuing an inquest to examine systemic failures that left her unprotected. Two days after her death, Queensland police assistant commissioner Brian Codd admitted there had been a 'failure' in their dealings with Ms Wilkinson, who first contacted them about Johnston in March 2021.
In early April, Johnston was charged with four domestic violence offences and granted watch house bail. Ms Wilkinson then tried to speak to police 'almost every day' about her fears, her sister Natalie Wilkinson told the Gold Coast Bulletin. Another sister, Danielle Carroll, said Ms Wilkinson told police she was scared for her life and her children's lives.
On one occasion in April, she was turned away from Southport police station because no one was available to handle a domestic violence case. She then drove to Runaway Bay station, about 15 minutes away. A police report described her visits as 'cop shopping'.
Johnston will be sentenced next month and has been remanded in custody. Defence barrister Kim Bryson said some factual matters remain contested regarding the background of the relationship.
