By AARON BUNCH
An inquest into the custody death of teen Cleveland Dodd will not hear from the officer in charge whose psychologist ruled him unfit for extended questioning.
Cleveland Dodd was found unresponsive inside a cell in a troubled youth wing of a high-security adult prison in the early hours of October 12, 2023.
The 16-year-old was taken to hospital in a critical condition and died about one week later, causing outrage and grief in the community.
Cleveland Dodd was found unresponsive in his cell in the youth wing of Casuarina Prison in Perth. (Aaron Bunch/AAP)
The inquest’s first sitting in April heard senior officer Kyle Mead-Hunter was found partially clothed in a darkened office by a lower-ranking officer after Cleveland was found in distress.
He was on duty despite an earlier finding made against him for breaching a lawful order by the Department of Justice professional standards division.
Mr Mead-Hunter was expected to give evidence on Monday but Coroner Philip Urquhart said he had been excused after the court received a report from his psychologist.
It stated Mr Mead-Hunter was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and the symptoms render him “incapable of tolerating extended periods of questioning”.
“The psychologist did not expect Mr Mead-Hunter would be fit to attend the court within the next six months,” he said.
Mr Urquhart said the report said Mr Mead-Hunter’s upcoming appearance at the inquest had caused his health to deteriorate.
“I’m left with no option other than to excuse Mr Mead-Hunter from the summons he has received to attend the court to give oral evidence at this inquest,” he said.
“I have no doubt that Cleveland’s family will be disappointed with that decision.”
The inquest previously heard Cleveland made eight threats to self-harm and numerous requests for medical treatment and drinking water in the hours before he was discovered in Unit 18 at Perth’s Casuarina Prison.
Night-shift staff ignored those requests because a senior officer informed them Cleveland had been given six cups of water with his dinner and his cell was not to be unlocked.
But CCTV footage shows Cleveland was given only three cups of water when his evening meal was delivered to his cell about 6pm, along with a bladder of milk.
Cleveland’s threats to self-harm on October 11 and 12 started after his fifth request for water was ignored.
He had also covered a CCTV camera in his cell with tissue paper, blocking the view of correctional staff monitoring him from a control room, but it wasn’t uncovered until they were fighting to save his life.
Officers were generally reluctant to open detainees’ cell doors at night “due to staffing numbers and risk issues” but a guard did visit Cleveland’s cell and speak to him through the door before moving on to check on another detainee.
It was about this time Cleveland self-harmed.
A video shows a staff member banging on Cleveland’s cell door soon after, but he didn’t have keys to open it or a radio to call for help.
The officer left Cleveland and walked to Mr Meade-Hunter’s office on another floor to collect the keys.
It was about this time Cleveland self-harmed.
Cleveland’s cell door was opened at 1.51am, with a code red alert issued two minutes later as staff tried to revive the teen.
Paramedics arrived at 2.06am but did not get access to Cleveland, who was found to be in cardiac arrest, for nine minutes.
The teen was partially revived and taken to hospital but suffered a brain injury due to a lack of oxygen.
He died, surrounded by his family, on October 19.
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AAP
