Lack of support ‘led to man’s death’

An inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Johnson in 2022 has been told of communication gaps and lack of adequate cultural support.

Johnson, 45, went missing from his Alice Springs supported accommodation on December 3, 2022.

He had been in the care if a public guardian since 2015 having been assessed to have brain injuries that left him with mental impairments.

Coroner Chrissy McConnell heard from several witnesses that triple zero calls were made after he had gone missing as it was believed he needed a lot of help.

NT Police did not launch a search until two days later. His body was found days later in bushland.

Aboriginal community workers Kenneth Leichleitner Snr said there was a lack of cultural education and sensitivity in the supported living houses where Mrs Johnson was staying.

“If we were called we could have spoken to him and he probably wouldn’t have taken off,” Mr Leichleitner Snr said.

John Stirk, representing NT Police, defended police actions saying officers were dealing with “competing priorities” and domestic violence demands would have taken precedence.

Lawyer Greer Boe, representing Kumanjayi’s family, made several recommendations including adequate cultural training for carers and culturally-safe supported accommodation.

The coroner will hand down her findings at a later date.