Courts have to prioritise protecting women rather than their attackers

The death in custody of a man who allegedly murdered a Central Coast teenager after he had been spared jail and placed on a supervision order despite his lengthy history of violent offending and breaching restraining orders has reopened the running sore of NSW bail laws.

NSW Chief Magistrate Judge Michael Allen in January placed  Adrian Noel Torrens on an 18-month community corrections order for domestic violence offending, despite his having breached a similar order in 2020 and subsequently serving a prison sentence for a range of violent offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking or intimidating intending fear or physical harm, affray and breaching a domestic apprehended violence order.

A month ago, the body of 19-year-old Audrey Griffin was found near Erina Creek. Police initially believed her death was not suspicious but, on Monday, after examining DNA evidence, they charged 53-year-old Torrens with her murder. It’s alleged he became involved in a physical altercation with the young woman as she walked home in the early hours of March 23, following a night out with friends. On Thursday, authorities found Torrens unresponsive in the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre.

Torrens’ death coincides with this week’s first anniversary of the discovery of 28-year-old childcare worker Molly Ticehurst’s body in her home at Forbes. Her ex-partner Daniel Billings, 29, who was on bail at the time of the alleged incident, has been charged with murder, sexual assault without consent, stalking and intimidation, animal cruelty and breaching an apprehended violence order.

In response to Ticehurst’s death, the NSW government launched a review of the state’s bail conditions for alleged domestic violence perpetrators and announced alleged perpetrators charged with serious domestic violence offences would now wear ankle bracelets and have their movements tracked around the clock if they were granted bail. But such reforms are clearly not enough.

Following Torrens’ death, former NSW director of public prosecutions Nick Cowdery did not mince words, saying that although he was not aware of the circumstances around the decision to impose a community corrections order on Torrens, it appeared a lenient and “perhaps inappropriate” sentence, given his history of violence and previous breaches. Victims advocate Howard Brown said Torrens’ “lenient” sentence for previous domestic violence fitted the definition of insanity of repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome: “If you keep releasing these guys and punishing them with a feather, why are we then all of a sudden surprised when someone ends up dead?”

Premier Chris Minns acknowledged he did not have the answers at present but “abhorrent” acts of violence against women sent a “chilling message into the community”. He said there should be “zero tolerance” from all parts of society, including the police, courts and government.

But the brutal truth is that the state, through its laws and judicial decisions, must make it a priority to end violence against women. It should not have taken the death of Audrey Griffin for it to be brought to the forefront again.

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