Dannielle Finlay-Jones’s killer was wrongly assessed as low risk, inquest hears

A Sydney man who murdered a teacher’s aide he met on a dating app had his risk understated by Corrective Services, an inquest has heard, after his previous dismissed domestic violence charges were overlooked.

Dannielle Finlay-Jones was killed inside her friend’s home in Cranebrook in Sydney’s northwest on the morning of December 18, 2022.

Nearly four years later, Ms Finlay-Jones’ loved ones are attending a coronial inquest into her deat with the hopes of bringing much-needed domestic violence and bail reform in NSW.

On Tuesday, a former correctives officer told the inquest that in an immediate response to Gaddie’s arrest, the following day they undertook a review into his supervision.

They said the review found that Gaddie’s risk had previously been “misscored” during a sentencing assessment report for prior domestic violence offences, and placed him at a low risk.

When asked how the misrepresentation occurred, the officer said some prior DV offences that were dismissed under the Mental Health Act (section 32) may have been overlooked.

“My recollection is it relation to Mr Gaddie … he had some offences dismissed under section 32 and they weren’t counted as offences … for the scoring of his prior offences when they should’ve been, they should’ve been counted,” she said.

“And they should have been counted because of the nature of the operation of section 32.”

The inquest was also told that typically two interviews would be held to assess Gaddie during the process, one in their office and one in the offender’s home.

However, Covid-19 pandemic rules at the time meant only one virtual meeting was undertaken with Gaddie.

The inquest was earlier told the pair, who had met on Bumble, had spent the previous night before the murder together after Ms Finlay-Jones brought the tradesman to a Christmas party with her friends – the first time they had met Gaddie.

After the event, in which Gaddie drank about 15 beers and took prescription Valium, the pair went back to a friend’s home where they stayed the night, the inquest was told.

The following morning, her friends found Ms Finlay-Jones in the spare bedroom and performed CPR; however, she died and Gaddie had fled.

Gaddie was later arrested for her murder following a 12-hour stand-off with police in the NSW Blue Mountains.