Port Arthur memories 'came back' on seeing jumping castle body-cam: officer

Hillcrest jumping castle inquest hears trauma for police officers 'the same' as during Port Arthur massacre In short: One of Tasmania's most senior police officers has been brought to tears as he reflected on reviewing two hours of police body-worn footage in the aftermath of the Hillcrest jumping castle tragedy. Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar gave evidence at the coronial inquest into the 2021 tragedy that killed six children. What's next? Friday is the final day of the first block of hearings, with further sessions set for November and February. A senior Tasmanian police officer who attended the Port Arthur shooting massacre in 1996 has told a coronial inquest into the deaths of six school children in a jumping castle incident that while the events were different, the trauma for police was the same. Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar appeared before coroner Olivia McTaggart in Devonport on Friday to give evidence at the coronial inquest into the 2021 tragedy at Hillcrest Primary School. Addison Stewart, Chace Harrison, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor died and three of their classmates were seriously injured when a freak wind gust tossed a jumping castle across the school oval at an end-of-year celebration. The children were in grades 5 and 6. Assistant Commissioner Bodnar, a 36-year police veteran, compared the impact of the tragedy on police to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people died. Counsel assisting the coroner, Maree Norton SC, asked Assistant Commissioner Bodnar if he had comparisons to make between the two tragedies and the impact on police officers. Assistant Commissioner Bodnar became choked up while recalling his experience attending Port Arthur. "I actually thought I'd been able to park a lot of memories about dealing with death, and particularly knowing that children died at Port Arthur," he said. "What I discovered is I haven't compartmentalised that appropriately. "When I reviewed the body-worn camera footage, a lot of those memories came back to me," he said through tears. "Whilst the incidents are different, the trauma is still the same." Police apologise to mother of victim In preparation for the inquest, Assistant Commissioner Bodnar, who was not in attendance on the day of the jumping castle tragedy, said he reviewed about two hours of police body-worn footage. He described the scene as "chaotic" with "a lot of mayhem", which he said was not unusual in the early stages of dealing with a crisis. "I'm reminded of the looks of despair on people's faces,"he said. Assistant Commissioner Bodnar said he was proud of the efforts of police officers, who along with paramedics, worked to provide first aid and life-saving assistance to the injured children. He said he was aware that on the day of the tragedy one of the children, Zane Mellor, was misidentified by a member of the school's teaching staff. "I can understand in the heat of the moment how misidentification could occur," he said. Assistant Commissioner Bodnar also said he was aware that the family of one of the children who died was permitted to spend time with them on the oval, while Zane's mother Georgie Burt was not. Amid the confusion, the court heard Ms Burt attended the Mersey Community Hospital after she was told her son was there. "I think that is particularly sad that Georgina wasn't given the same opportunity other parents were," he said. "On behalf of Tasmania Police, I would like to sincerely apologise to Georgina for the fact that she didn't have the opportunity to spend time with her son as other families did,"he said. The court has this week heard from Ms Burt, health officials and lead forensic investigator Constable Dean Wotherspoon. Today is the last day of the first block of hearings, with further sessions set for November and February.