24 Apr 2015

Livingstone case will force change - police

7:53 pm on 24 April 2015

The Livingstone shooting inquest has ended, with the police's top southern commander saying he is sure the case will generate a lot of change.

Bradley and Ellen Livingstone.

Bradley and Ellen Livingstone. Photo: NZ POLICE

District Commander, Superintendent Andrew Coster was the final witness on the fourth day of the inquest in Dunedin into the deaths of Edward Livingstone and his children, Bradley and Ellen, who he fatally shot 15 months ago.

Mr Coster, acknowledged there were significant police failings in the Livingstone case, saying mistakes in both record keeping and judgement were made by a number of officers.

However, Mr Coster said there was nothing in the four months leading up to the shooting that could have indicated what Livingstone was going to do.

He said domestic violence was the police's number one priority and he was sure this case would lead to a lot of changes.

Chief coroner Judge Deborah Marshall has reserved her findings after praising the children's mother, Katharine Webb, for her quiet dignity throughout the hearing.

Liqueshia Dougherty

Liqueshia Dougherty Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer

Earlier today, a former probation officer has told an inquest there seems to have been no follow-up from a meeting discussing Edward Livingstone's risk to his family.

Liqueshia Dougherty this morning gave evidence that as a Correction department probation officer she went to a mult-agency meeting which discussed Livingstone.

This was a week after Livingstone was arrested for his first breach of a family protection order.

Ms Dougherty's notes showed Livingstone was discussed as being high-risk, diagnosed as having a narcissistic personality disorder and having sent home bullet shells with his children.

Edward Livingstone

Edward Livingstone Photo: Supplied

Under cross examination she agreed the minutes of that meeting did not indicate any particular actions anyone would take, and said it was a fair assessment that probably nothing was.

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