We recently shared how we have been blocked so far by every government agency available to obtain the evidence against Constable Bryce Collins, essentially saying we can’t know if he illegally looked Luke up before or after he was shot dead by a cop who is allegedly a mate of his, we can’t know why he did it or who he passed the information too even though there’s a question about the witnesses who gave false statements having links to police…

Now, we have been BLOCKED again by the Information Commissioner from obtaining the full, unedited versions of the most critical footage that has been tampered with and snipped to miss out Luke’s last walk up the street past Constable Daniel Simic and Senior Constable Anthony Parkinson allegedly stood at Boom nightclub before he then walks past Senior Constable David Murray and Constable Liam Forster.

So, we can have the digitally altered versions but we can’t have the unedited versions. The other CCTV footage we’re asking for should’ve been disclosed before inquest, it is listed as part of the brief of evidence. It should’ve been examined and scrutinised at inquest by all parties including the Deputy state coroner Stephanie Gallagher and counsel assisting Julie Pietzner-Hagan who astonishingly failed to even notice it was missing. Coronial investigation 101 should be to check everything that should be there is indeed there, it’s her investigation after all.

When we informed the coroner it was missing she actually agreed to send it to us on USB, however, it was sent twice and twice it contained no data...Was this done on purpose? Surely the second time she would have checked it was copied correctly before she sent it to our lawyer who also failed to check the data was on the USB? All attempts to get it since have been met with obstruction by all those involved.

So first, by law, we should have it as part of full disclosure. Then the coroner says "here you go" but it’s blank, then she says get it from police and isn’t bothered at all that some is tampered evidence. Police tell us they need the coroners approval and we go back and forth for a while until we’re finally forced to apply for Right to Information from Whitsundays regional council who hold the original versions of the CCTV before it was digitally altered by police. 

They refuse on the grounds that it’s "not in the public’s interest". The information commissioner who reviews this decision then makes up a whole new reason that we can’t have it. They claim it’s exempt because Luke was not the subject of the investigation! That’s not all. The information commissioner won’t consider human rights in this case because we reside in another state to Queensland.

Firstly, it’s totally illogical to suggest that our son wasn’t the subject of the investigation when all the footage is tracking his movements not the cops, all the evidence obtained relates to him and the fact he was shot dead in the street is the entire reason there’s even an investigation in the first place if you can even call it that.

Secondly, it’s terrifying that human rights aren’t being considered simply because we don’t live in Queensland, the case is in Queensland, the evidence is in Queensland, Luke was killed in Queensland and his human right to have his death fairly and fully investigated is being violated because he was a tourist in a tourist hotspot in Queensland.

So when the likes of Amanda Camm, MP for Whitsundays and minister for family and domestic violence tells one of our supporters that there’s “no apparent evidence” to warrant an inquiry in our case, that simply is not true, there is plenty of evidence already and the rest they’re just covering up!

Thankyou for your continued support.

Darren and Nicola Gilbert (Luke's parents)