Aaron Cockman, father of four children murdered by their grandfather in Margaret River, refused inquest into their deaths

The father of four children shot dead by their grandfather in Margaret River has been refused an inquest into their deaths and was given just seven days to appeal to the Supreme Court. Aaron Cockman, who has written to Premier Mark McGowan seeking a meeting, said his children deserved a full inquiry. Mr Cockman is still grieving Taye, 13, Rylan, 12, Arye, 10, and Kadyn, 8. His children’s mother Katrina Miles and their grandmother Cynda were also murdered by Peter Miles, who then took his own life on the front veranda of the family’s Margaret River hobby farm in May 2018. Mr Cockman claims Family Court proceedings played a role in the lead-up the massacre. “It will soon be two years since we met in Margaret River after the murder of my four children,” he wrote in his letter to the Premier this week. “At the time, you suggested that there were ‘no warning signs’ of our family tragedy. But there were. “One of them was the fact that our family had been involved in family court proceedings. “As (former) Coroner Barry King said in relation to the 2011 (Port Denison) deaths of Heather Glendinning, Jessica Cuzens and Jane Cuzens: ‘The evidence makes clear that parties to Family Court proceeding[s] can be subjected to intense, ongoing stress. It is also clear that such stress … was a contributing, if not precipitating, factor.’ “In the light of this comment, I am particularly disappointed to have just been informed by State Coroner (Ros) Fogliani that there is to be no inquest into the deaths in my family ... It was described, very publicly, as the largest gun massacre since Port Arthur. “I believe that people expect an open and transparent inquest into an event of this magnitude.” In her letter to Mr Cockman on January 28, Ms Fogliani wrote: “I acknowledge your profound grief, and your wish to have answers about the circumstances surrounding their deaths ... “The deaths were tragic and shocking. “The grief and heartache is widely felt. I have taken account of the merits of investigating the deaths in a public forum, for the broader community's widespread understanding of the surrounding circumstances. “However, this is to be balanced against the function of an inquest, which is primarily aimed at providing information that has not already been disclosed or made available to the coroner. “Ultimately, having considered the material before me, I have determined that a public inquest into the deaths of your family members is not desirable ... I am satisfied that all relevant lines of inquiry have been followed ... An inquest is not likely to generate further relevant evidence ... I therefore refuse your request for an inquest.” In her letter, the Coroner noted that Family Court orders expired almost one year before the massacre. Mr Cockman said there had been no attempt to interview him or family members about what happened. “Someone from the Coroner’s office just phoned me up out of the blue last year and asked my views about an inquest, which I provided,” he said. “I’ve been waiting nine months to hear back from them — and now they’ve suddenly sent me this long, legalistic letter telling me there’ll be no inquest and I’ve got one week to take legal action if I want to oppose their decision. “I think the State Coroner is wrong not to consider everything that could reasonably be done to prevent such murders in future,” he added. “Had she taken the time to speak with our family, she would have heard evidence of the impact of family law proceedings as well as evidence that contradicted her view that these proceedings were entirely over 11 months before the murders and that there was therefore no ‘nexus’.” Mr Cockman is supported by For Kids Sake, an organisation which wants “family separation and divorce were to be treated as an urgent health issue, instead of a prolonged and adversarial, legal issue”. “Every two weeks, on average, a child is killed by a parent or close family member,” Karen Clarke, ambassador of For Kids Sake, said. She said data showed many of these horrific events are linked to family break-ups and family law proceedings.