Telstra apologises for Claremont killer Bradley Edwards, responds to Hollywood Hospital attack on Wendy Davis

Telstra has finally broken its silence and apologised for its most notorious staff member — Claremont killer Bradley Robert Edwards — saying it recognised “the enormous harm and grief many people have experienced” because of his “dreadful acts”. Telstra group executive Alex Badenoch also said sorry to Wendy Davis, the social worker attacked by Edwards while he was working at Hollywood Hospital for the telco in May 1990. Apart from evidence given in court during the seven-month trial, the telco remained tight-lipped, repeatedly refusing to comment on the case publicly. But today, in a statement exclusively released to The West Australian, Ms Badenoch said the company had been “shaken” by Edwards’ horrific crime spree, all committed during his three-decade career with the company as a technician. “We recognise the enormous harm and grief that many people have experienced due to the dreadful acts committed by Bradley Edwards,” she said. “We all want to live in a community free from violence and fear, and we have been shaken by the fact that these crimes were committed by one of our employees. “Throughout the investigation and trial, we have been assisting WA Police and prosecutors. During this process,it has not been appropriate to make any public comment that could have jeopardised the trial.” During the trial, Telstra revealed it was able to find records of Edwards’ promotions, leave, uniforms, cars and sick leave. But it could not find any reference of the attack on Ms Davis — despite it occurring while he was on the job. Ms Davis vividly remembers meeting with a Telstra manager shortly after the attack, where she was grabbed from behind, a cloth placed over her mouth and dragged towards a toilet cubicle. Telstra did not sack Edwards, in fact he was given a pay-rise and promotion a short time later. “The events in question happened more than 20 years ago, which has made it difficult for us to locate information and understand why certain decisions were made at that time,” Ms Badenoch said. “However, it is clear that we didn’t respond in the way we should have or would today.” Ms Davis said she felt angry, isolated and unheard following the attack. She said had the incident been dealt with properly by Telstra and the police, Edwards could have been stopped before his crimes escalated. “Ms Wendy Davis was brave enough to speak out at the time she was attacked, as well as recount those events recently,” Ms Badenoch said. “Telstra’s response at the time let Ms Davis down and we are very sorry for that.” Five years after his attack on Ms Davis, Edwards abducted a 17-year-old girl from a Claremont park, before tying her up, gagging her and taking her to Karrakatta Cemetery where he raped her twice. Then, in June 1996, Edwards abducted Jane Rimmer after she spent a night out with friends in Claremont before killing her, dumping her body in Wellard. And in March 1997, Edwards snatched Ciara Glennon from the same upmarket suburb. Her body was found in Eglinton. Edwards found last week convicted of the wilful murders of Ms Rimmer and Ms Glennon, but Justice Stephen Hall found there was not enough evidence to convict the 51-year-old of murdering Ms Spiers who vanished from Claremont and was killed. Her body is still missing. He will be sentenced on December 23.