00:01First Class Constable Dean Wotherspoon is a 30-year veteran of the Tasmania Police Force.
00:07He's a forensic crime scene examiner and often one of the first on the scene in some of the
00:12most horrific cases and tragedies that occur here in northwest Tasmania. But he said the day at
00:19Hillcrest Primary School on December 16, 2021 was unlike anything he had ever seen. When he arrived
00:26he was one of the first responders about 10 30 in that morning. Police officers, paramedics and school
00:33staff he said were doing everything they could their utmost to save the children. He said it was
00:39a complex and confusing site when he first arrived and that the chain of command was confusing but
00:46that on reflection the scene was so large and complex at that initial stage that it was almost
00:51impossible to get complete coordination. He said some mistakes were made on the day including by
00:58him. He said he was responsible for the forensic examination of the scene but he went to the
01:04hospital to take forensic photos and that on reflection he should have stayed to coordinate
01:10the forensic crime scene coordination and response. He also said some items were moved around on the
01:17oval in the wake of the tragedy and they should have stayed in place for forensic examination but he
01:23said he did not think any of those issues or the mistakes that were made materially affected the
01:28forensic examination on the day. Today is day three of the inquest. Constable Wotherspoon's evidence is
01:36going to continue this afternoon and tomorrow he will lead coroner Olivia McTaggart on a view of the site
01:42of the primary school in Devonport. The coronial inquest will resume on Friday and then in blocks
01:49in November and February which means it will run over the fifth anniversary of the Hillcrest primary
01:55school tragedy on December 16, 2026.
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