‘Teacher forgot to give tragic David GPS: inquest’ (SMH, 18 April 2009)

This tragic case of David Iredale, a senior high school student from Sydney Grammar School, is worth studying.  

‘Teacher forgot to give tragic David GPS: inquest’ (SMH, 18 April 2009)

David Iredale, 17, was bushwaling in Blue Mountain with his friend, Philip Chan.  The trip was intended to be part of their participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award.  Tragically, David Iredale got lost from his companion, and subsequently died.  

There is now a coronial inquest hearing into his death, which is what this media article is about.  The purpose of a coronial inquest is investigate and establish the causes of suspicious death.  The NSW Coroners Court has a chart which explains how the process work.

Now if you follow the chart carefully, you should be able to tell that the case of David Iredale is near the end of the chart.  Currently the Coronial inquest is hearing testimonies and examing evidence in order to establish the exact cause of death and to see if there are any subsequent criminal liabilities. 

So far the court has heard evidence suggesting that David’s teacher, Mr. Jim Forbes, did not provide a GPS tracking device to David before the commencement of the trip.   It has also heard evidence suggesting that the ambulance emergency phone operator has been callous in the way David’s emergency call was handled.  (See ‘Triple-O sarcasm a ‘disease’‘ (SMH 17 April 2009)

The hearing is still in process.