Police missed opportunities to hold an abusive man to account in the months before he violently bashed his partner and left her for dead, a coroner has found.
Robert Rickerby fatally assaulted Jessica Geddes, 27, on November 6, 2020, after years of physically, emotionally and financially abusing her.
Rickerby punched, kicked or hit Ms Geddes and then left to collect takeaway pizzas while she died in the bedroom of their Endeavour Hills home.
Rickerby ultimately pleaded guilty to Ms Geddes’ manslaughter and in June 2024 was sentenced to 15 years and six months behind bars.
State Coroner John Cain released his findings into Ms Geddes’ death, determining police missed opportunities to stop Rickerby before the fatal attack.
“This is not to say that Jessica’s death was preventable if the Victoria Police response was different,” Judge Cain said.
“However, I am of the view that there were missed opportunities to intervene.”
He noted a family violence incident in September 2019 where Rickerby allegedly repeatedly hit Ms Geddes in the head with a hammer.
Ms Geddes disclosed to police Rickerby’s role in the attack and his previous assaults against her.
But Rickerby denied the hammer incident during his police interview, instead claiming Ms Geddes’ had a history of hitting herself in the head with objects.
Rickerby was never prosecuted over the assault because it was deemed there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.
There were seven other reports of family violence between October 2019 and May 2020 but police were either unable to make contact with Ms Geddes or she reported being well.
A Victoria Police-led review after her death found officers did not undertake rigorous investigations or use their entry powers to ensure she was safe.
Police members also did not submit family violence reports as required and opportunities to prosecute Rickerby for breaching intervention orders were not pursued, the review found.
Judge Cain said the deficiencies in the police response could not be understated.
“By not investigating Robert’s alleged (intervention order) breaches, there were missed opportunities to hold him to account for his offending,” the coroner said.
Ms Geddes was a vulnerable woman with a history of mental illness and it appeared police had determined her health issues had affected her credibility, Judge Cain said.
That approach went against police guidance that mental illness was a known risk factor for family violence, the coroner said.
Victoria Police chose not to respond to the coroner’s comments, instead reiterating its ongoing work to improve its responses to family violence.
Judge Cain said he was satisfied he did not need to make further recommendations on that issue.
But he did recommend Victoria Police and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing provide funding to embed advanced family violence practitioners within dedicated police units to manage repeat cases.
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