Deceased
Dwayne Robert Davies
Demographics
47y, male
Date of death
2017-05-26
Finding date
2024-01-19
Cause of death
shotgun gunshot wound
AI-generated summary
This is a coronial finding into the death of a 47-year-old man by homicide. Mr Davies was shot by his close friend at the instigation of his wife, with whom the friend was having an affair. The shooting was premeditated and planned as an ambush. The body was buried at a remote location and later recovered. An autopsy confirmed shotgun wounds to the head and left upper back. Both the shooter and the wife were convicted and imprisoned for murder. This case does not involve medical or clinical error and therefore presents no clinical lessons for the healthcare system.
AI-generated summary — refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
MAGISTRATES COURT of TASMANIA
CORONIAL DIVISION Record of Investigation into Death (Without Inquest) Coroners Act 1995 Coroners Rules 2006 Rule 11 I, Simon Cooper, Coroner, having investigated the death of Dwayne Robert Davies Find, pursuant to Section 28(1) of the Coroners Act 1995, that a) The identity of the deceased is Dwayne Robert Davies; b) Mr Davies died as a result of homicide; c) The cause of Mr Davies’ death was a shotgun gun shot wound; and d) Mr Davies died on 26 May 2017 at 60 Cockatoo Gully Road, Elderslie, Tasmania.
Mr Davies, a 47 year old self employed tattoo artist and motor cycle aficionado, died when he was shot on 26 May 2017, by his close friend Bradley Scott Purkiss.
Purkiss shot Mr Davies at the instigation of Mr Davies’ wife Margaret Anne Otto, with whom he was having an affair.
The shooting was, in effect, an ambush and involved pre-meditating and planning. After Purkiss killed Mr Davies, having lured him to his home at Elderslie under the pretext of discussing the possible purchase of a motorcycle, he took his body to a remote property at Levendale and buried it.
Mr Davies’ body was recovered from its shallow grave on 2 June 2017, wrapped in plastic. It was taken by mortuary ambulance to Hobart where an autopsy was carried out by Dr Donald Ritchey, Forensic Pathologist.
At the autopsy, Dr Ritchey found Mr Davies’ body to have shot gun wounds of both the head and the left upper back. Neither wound had an exit wound. A substantial amount of ballistic material was recovered from the corpse.
Mr Davies’ body was formally identified by fingerprint comparison.
Purkiss and Otto were both charged, tried, convicted and sentenced to lengthy periods of imprisonment for the murder of Mr Davies.
Comments and Recommendations The circumstances of Mr Davies’ death are not such as to require me to make any comments or recommendations pursuant to Section 28 of the Coroners Act 1995.
I convey my sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Dwayne Robert Davies.
Dated: 19 January 2024 at Hobart in the State of Tasmania.
Simon Cooper Coroner
A 51-year-old woman with chronic pain, depression, and longstanding medication misuse died from unintentional prescription drug poisoning. She had been prescribed high-risk combinations of opioids and benzodiazepines ove…
A 10-month-old child died from catastrophic brain injury with multiple brain bleeds inflicted by their mother's boyfriend during an episode of care at home. The perpetrator violently shook the infant, thrust his finger i…
A 33-year-old man with complex psychiatric history (bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, autism, ADHD) and long-standing substance use disorder died from mixed drug toxicity. Postmortem toxicology revealed high-co…
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. Some material may have been redacted or restricted by court order or privacy requirements. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries are for educational purposes only and must not be treated as legal documents. Report an inaccuracy.