Coroner's Finding: Perrin, Travis Glen

CORONERS ACT, 2003 SOUTH AUSTRALIA FINDING OF INQUEST An Inquest taken on behalf of our Sovereign Lady the Queen at Adelaide in the State of South Australia, on the 5th day of May and the 10th day of June 2022, by the Coroner’s Court of the said State, constituted of Naomi Mary Kereru, Coroner, into the death of Travis Glen Perrin.

The said Court finds that Travis Glen Perrin aged 34 years, late of 7 Kokoda Terrace, Loxton, South Australia died at Loxton, South Australia on the 11th day of March 2020 as a result of in keeping with plastic bag asphyxia. The said Court finds that the circumstances of his death were as follows:

1. Introduction and cause of death 1.1. Travis Glen Perrin was born on 15 May 1985 and died on 11 March 2021 at his father’s address in Loxton. He was 35 years old.

1.2. A post-mortem examination of Mr Perrin’s remains was conducted on 18 March 2020 by Dr Neil Langlois who is a forensic pathologist at Forensic Science South Australia.

Dr Langlois reported that the cause of death of Mr Perrin was in keeping with plastic bag asphyxia.1 I so find.

2. Reason for Inquest 2.1. On 24 December 2019 Mr Perrin was arrested. Mr Perrin was refused bail and was remanded into custody until 21 January 2020, when he was granted home detention bail with electronic monitoring to reside with his father at his residence in Loxton.2 1 Exhibit C2a 2 Exhibit C7, Bail Agreement

2.2. As Mr Perrin was the subject of a home detention bail agreement with electronic monitoring at the time of death, his death was a death in custody for which an inquest was mandatory.

2.3. In law this meant that Mr Perrin’s death was a death in custody within the meaning of that expression in the Coroners Act 2003 and this inquest was held as required by section 21(1)(a) of that Act.

3. Background and the events leading to Mr Perrin’s death 3.1. Mr Perrin was married to Jessica. Together they had two daughters aged 14 and 10.

Prior to his arrest Mr Perrin had lived with his family in Renmark. Mr Perrin was employed as a supervisor on various horticultural properties in the Riverland region and surrounds.

3.2. On 24 December 2019, Mr Perrin was arrested for an allegation of a child sex offence against one of his daughters.

3.3. Upon Mr Perrin’s release from custody on 21 January 2020, his home detention bail agreement prohibited him from living or having contact with his wife and daughters.

The address of Mr Perrin’s father was considered a suitable place for him to live whilst on home detention bail.3

3.4. Between 21 January 2020 and 11 March 2020, Mr Perrin resided with his father and resumed his employment. A review of the Department for Correctional Services notes show that Mr Perrin was compliant with his home detention bail conditions and no concern was expressed or held in respect of mental health issues.4 Mr Perrin had no relevant medical history as summarised in the investigating officer’s report.5

3.5. Mr Perrin’s father, in a witness statement tendered to the Court,6 described his son as a quiet individual, who had been particularly quiet since coming to live with him.7 Mr Perrin’s father noted that his son would spend a lot of time in his room by himself.

3 Exhibit C7, Bail Detention Enquiry Report 4 Exhibit C7, Offender Case Notes 5 Exhibit C6a 6 Exhibit C1a 7 Exhibit C1a page 2

Mr Perrin’s father stated that while he found it hard to communicate with his son, his partner, Lainey, had a way of communicating with him and they would talk for hours.8

3.6. In terms of the circumstances leading to Mr Perrin’s death, Mr Perrin's father states he had dinner with his son on the evening of 10 March 2020. When he retired to bed, at approximately 10pm, he observed Mr Perrin watching cartoons on the loungeroom television.9

3.7. On 11 March 2020, Mr Perrin’s father left the house early, but exchanged a text message with Mr Perrin sometime later that morning. When Mr Perrin’s father returned home that evening, he assumed his son was sleeping in his bedroom as all the lights were off, but the evaporative air conditioner was still running. Mr Perrin’s father did not consider this unusual as Mr Perrin often went to bed early or stayed in his room for long periods.

3.8. The following morning, on Thursday 12 March 2020 at approximately 8:30am, Mr Perrin's father became worried that his son was not yet awake. He had also received an SMS from his son's employer asking if he had heard from Mr Perrin. His employer reported that they had not heard from Mr Perrin for over a day. At approximately 10:35am Mr Perrin's father went into his son's bedroom to check on him and saw him motionless on his bed with a garbage bag tied over his head. It was clear to him that his son was deceased.

3.9. Police and paramedics subsequently attended at the Kokoda Terrace residence and Mr Perrin was formally declared life extinct at 10:47am on 12 March 2020 by South Australian Ambulance Service paramedic, Tegan Hutchins.

3.10. Several notes were located on the bedside table in Mr Perrin's bedroom which have been annexed to the investigating officer’s statement.10

4. Conclusions and recommendations 4.1. I find that Mr Perrin was responsible for his own death. I further find the notes found on his bedside table to be suicide notes.

8 Exhibit C1a, page 2 9 Exhibit C1a, page 3 10 Exhibit C6

4.2. Consistent with the conclusions of the SAPOL investigating officer, I find that Mr Perrin was in lawful detention at the time of his death.11 The circumstances surrounding his death are not suspicious.

4.3. I find that there are no concerns relating to Mr Perrin’s care whilst subject to supervision by the Department for Correctional Services.

4.4. I make no recommendations.

Key Words: Death in custody; Suicide In witness whereof the said Coroner has hereunto set and subscribed her hand and Seal the 10th day of June, 2022.

Coroner Inquest Number 5/2022 (0521/2020) 11 Exhibit C6a