In the days before she was murdered by her estranged husband, a young Australian mother of three went to several police stations fearing for her life, but didn’t get the help she desperately needed.
On April 20, 2021, former US Marine Brian Earl Johnston tied 27-year-old Kelly Wilkinson to a clothesline in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast and set her on fire.
In her terrified state in the days leading up to her murder, Ms Wilkinson’s visits to police stations were described in official notes as ‘police shopping’. Guardian Australia reported.
Wednesday in the Brisbane Supreme CourtJohnston, 37, pleaded guilty to Ms Wilkinson’s murder just weeks before he was expected to stand trial.
Wilkinson’s family are conducting an investigation into how the system failed to protect her.
On April 20, 2021, former US Marine Brian Earl Johnston tied 27-year-old Kelly Wilkinson to a clothesline in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast and set her on fire. Mrs Wilkinson, Johnston and one of their children are pictured
On the day he killed his estranged wife, Johnston was found two blocks away in a front yard in a “semi-conscious state” with severe burns to his hands and airways.
A melted plastic canister, three knives and a duffel bag with duct tape were also found at the scene.
A neighbor reported finding her three children, who were between the ages of two and nine at the time, crying in the driveway after the murder.
Two days after she was killed, police admitted there had been a “failure” in their dealings with Ms Wilkinson, who had first contacted them about Johnston the month before.
In early April 2021, Johnston was charged with four offenses of domestic violence against Ms Wilkinson and granted bail.
In the weeks that followed, she tried to talk to police “almost every day” about her fear of Johnston, her sister Natalie Wilkinson told police. Gold Coast Bulletin in 2021.
She alleged Johnston violated the terms of his domestic violence order.
Another sister, Danielle Carroll, said at the time that Mrs Wilkinson told police: ‘I’m scared for my life, I’m scared for my children’s lives. We are not safe.’
One day in April, she was turned away from Southport police station on the Gold Coast after being told there was no one available to help with a domestic violence case.
Ms Wilkinson then drove to another police station in Runaway Bay, about 15 minutes away.
A police ‘occurrence’ report from the time described her visits to individual police stations as ‘police shopping’.
Johnston will be sentenced in March after pleading guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday
On April 22, 2021, two days after she was killed, Brian Codd, the Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner responsible for domestic violence responses, was asked whether Ms Wilkinson’s death had been preventable.
“Wouldn’t you love to turn back time,” he said. ‘It is important that we investigate to what extent this is a system error.
‘In the end it’s a failure. A woman has died. Somewhere along the line she came into contact with the system, with us.’
There were several signs that Johnston posed a potentially fatal risk, in addition to Wilkinson’s reports to police.
Days after Wilkinson was killed, Johnston’s attorney told reporters that “obviously no one expected this to happen.”
Johnston will be sentenced next month and is in custody.
Last Wednesday he did not respond in court when asked whether he wanted to say anything about why he should not be sentenced.
Defense attorney Kim Bryson said she had agreed with Crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy that March 13 would be appropriate for a sentencing hearing.
“There are some matters of fact that remain in dispute regarding the background of the relationship… we have been frustrated in our efforts to get to the prison because of the lockdowns that have taken place,” Ms Bryson said.
Mr McCarthy said there was also a dispute of fact over the motivation for Johnston to kill Ms Wilkinson.
Judge Callaghan said he could change the sentencing date if necessary.
Daily Mail Australia reported late last year how an entrepreneur worked around the clock to secure a house and land package for Ms Wilkinson’s three children.
The children were cared for by Mrs Wilkinson’s sister, Danielle Carroll, her husband and their five cousins.
Brian Earl Johnston pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court of Queensland on Wednesday to the murder of Kelly Wilkinson (pictured together)
Mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson (pictured) was doused in petrol and burned by her ex-husband
Construction entrepreneur Tamika Smith launched a community appeal to help build a new home for the family of 10 on the edge of the Gold Coast, where they moved in July last year.
Their new home was built by an army of local traditions and volunteers in a project led by Metricon Homes and My Bella Casa founder Tamika Smith, the stepsister of Ms. Carroll’s husband.
Johnston served two tours of duty in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps Aviation Division, but saw no combat.
He had met Mrs Wilkinson in the US state of Ohio after his time in the army.
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