A New South Wales man whose main intention was suicide, also killed his wife and children because he believed it would “[spare] them future pain”, a coronial inquest has been told.
Kim Hunt, 41, and her children Fletcher, 10, Mia, 8, and Phoebe, 6, were found dead on their farm in Lockhart in September 2014.
The body of 44-year-old Geoff Hunt — Kim’s husband, and the children’s father — was found a day later in a nearby dam. A gun was found beside his body.
All were killed with single gunshot wounds.
Coroner Michael Barnes is hearing evidence about the deaths at Wagga Wagga Coroner’s Court.
Dr Yule said she believed Hunt loved his wife and children.
“He had a level of dependency on the family unit,” Dr Sarah Yule said.
She said she believed there were “several indicators” that Hunt was depressed in September 2014.
Dr Yule said some people with depression will “go to considerable lengths to conceal what they’re feeling”, to hide their mental condition from family or friends.
“He presented a facade of being able to cope. It couldn’t get better. He couldn’t fix it,” Dr Yule said.
She said his use of a gun and a single injury indicated he did not intend to inflict pain on his wife and three children.
Yesterday, the coroner heard from the last person to see the Hunt family alive.
Lorraine Bourke was employed to help the Hunt family with domestic chores after Kim Hunt sustained permanent brain injuries in a 2012 car accident, which the court heard led to a significant change in her personality.
In September last year, on the night Hunt is believed to have shot his wife, three children and then himself, the mood in the house was tense, Ms Bourke told Mr Barnes.
Ms Bourke discovered the body of Kim Hunt outside the house the next day. Police later discovered the children’s bodies inside the house.
On Tuesday, the inquest heard a handwritten note found in the home read: “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, totally mine.”
The note did not identify the author, although a handwriting expert told the court she was “very confident” Geoff Hunt wrote it.
The inquest is continuing.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
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Top Comments
Well it's all speculation and guess work now, who did what and when, who wrote the note and why, did he do it, did she. Did Geoff come home and find his wife on the path, cover her with his jacket and run inside fearing the worst before finding it to be true, did he then blame himself for not being there, for not securing the guns he once removed from the property for his wife's safety or for allowing them to come back, did he see the flags indicating she was once again struggling but ignored them instead choosing believe everything is and would be ok, did they exchange heated words before he left, could these be why (if he wrote the note) he blamed himself. The only thing we know for certain is this was a terrible terrible tragedy
I think it is quite clear in the coroners finding what happened. Time to stop the vilifying her and recognise the monster he was. The coroner ruled he did it. She did not have the physical capability to use the gun. That was proven her physio report a week before.
Let her and her children rest in peace. Malicious speculation is over.
This case is just so bloody sad!!!!