Coroner guidelines home violence sufferer may have lived if ambulance wasn’t cancelled

Kylie Cay spent the ultimate moments of her life on her toilet flooring in agonising ache, ready for an ambulance that might by no means arrive.  

A coronial inquest into the Port Fairy girl’s dying has revealed that Ambulance Victoria (AV) did not appropriately reply to Ms Cay’s plea for assist as her life hung within the steadiness.

The mom of three died alone within the early hours of June 22, 2016, 4 days after being violently bashed by her associate, Justin Turner, who was enraged after misplacing his cigarettes.

Turner bashed Ms Cay as he chased her via her south-west Victorian dwelling, and smashed her toes with a hammer as she hid inside a canine kennel as she tried to flee from his assault. 

Her spleen was ruptured by the savage assault, however the inner harm was not detected when she was admitted to Warrnambool Hospital on the evening of the assault.    

Simply days later, Ms Cay succumbed to her accidents.

The Melbourne Coroner’s Court docket was instructed Ms Cay’s dying plea for assist from Ambulance Victoria, by way of a triple-0 name, was dismissed with her name being downgraded from a Code 1 emergency response after which finally cancelled, regardless of an accessible ambulance sitting idle simply 700 metres from her dwelling. 

Ms Cay was discovered lifeless in her toilet by her 13-year-old son and mom on the evening of June 22, 2016.   

Turner, who was on a group order on the time of the offending, pleaded responsible to manslaughter and was jailed for 12 years. 

A ‘tone deaf’ response

A number of witnesses had been grilled through the inquest into Ms Cay’s remaining moments, which was held to find out whether or not her dying may have been prevented.

The courtroom heard Ms Cay pleaded with a paramedic for assist throughout her remaining triple-0 name, saying, “I can hardly breathe, I’m about to go unconscious”, earlier than she dropped the telephone.

After being instructed her accidents didn’t warrant an ambulance response, Ms Cay was instructed to take herself to Warrnambool Hospital. 

She finally accepted a proposal for a taxi to be referred to as, nevertheless the paramedic on the opposite finish of the telephone by no means heard her say so.

The decision went quiet and was disconnected 30 seconds later. No-one ever referred to as her again.  

Ambulance Victoria was criticised by Deputy State Coroner Caitlin English, who stated Ms Cay’s accidents weren’t correctly thought of. 

“Within the context of a sufferer of serious household violence, the response of Ambulance Victoria was tone deaf,” Ms English stated.

The coroner discovered that Ms Cay’s dying may have been prevented, had an ambulance or taxi been despatched to assist her. 

Ms English additionally dominated that Corrections Victoria had not correctly managed Turner’s group order, and that extra ought to have been accomplished to make sure his compliance, saying many “crimson flags” had been missed.  

The coroner handed down six suggestions, together with that Ms Cay’s remaining triple-0 name be used to coach paramedics, and that Ambulance Victoria conduct a company-wide audit to make sure all employees have coaching in regards to the nature and results of hurt attributable to household violence.

‘A mindless waste of life’

Ms Cay’s brother Heath sat immobile because the nook learn her findings to the courtroom.

The inquest brings an finish to a five-year combat for the Cay household, which has constantly advocated for a stronger response by Ambulance Victoria to home violence victims. 

Kylie Cay is being remembered as a form and compassionate mom, who went out of her method to assist others. 

“Sadly, the caring nature resulted within the greatest mistake of her life, attempting to rehabilitate a associate who was past assist,” the household stated in an announcement by way of their lawyer. 

“The household is haunted by the desperation in Kylie’s voice within the triple-0 telephone name she made to Ambulance Victoria, and they’re decided to by no means let this occur to anybody ever once more.”

Simon Thompson, appearing government director of medical operations for Ambulance Victoria, stated the organisation was deeply affected by the devastating loss. 

“Our employees come to work each day, to do their finest and to take care of Victorians and to avoid wasting lives.

“We imagine that on this case, it was the (laptop) system that permit Kylie down, and we’ll proceed to look to make adjustments and additional adjustments on high of those that we have made to enhance the system.”