John Edwards' children's lawyer knew of violence allegations against Jack, Jennifer
The independent children's lawyer appointed to represent young Jack and Jennifer Edwards in the Family Court was fully apprised of a long list of allegations of the violence their father had subjected them to, but still insisted the children have contact with their dad, who later killed them.
On July 5, 2018, 67-year-old John Edwards gunned down his two children, Jack and Jennifer, at the West Pennant Hills rental home their mother Olga had moved them to, in order to escape their father's violent control. Edwards then returned to his own home and shot himself dead. Five months later, Olga took her own life.
Jennifer, Olga and Jack Edwards.
Lawyer Debbie Morton, who was appointed to look after the children's interests in custody proceedings commenced by Olga in 2016, told an inquest into their deaths that she had read the affidavit Olga filed listing Edwards' violence against the children.
Ms Morton also admitted she had read the "Notice of Risk" in which Olga had summarised the violent incidents. They included Edwards kicking his son, throwing a book at him and cutting his face, and chasing him down an alleyway in Paris and pinning him against the wall, behaving so violently passersby felt compelled to intervene.
As part of her role in advocating for the children's best interests, Ms Morton also subpoenaed police records and the schools that the children attended. She said the police file on Edwards was "a very small file".
The file contained details of an apprehended violence order (AVO) one of Edwards' adult children had taken against him, in 2011, but Ms Morton did not think this necessarily indicated a history of violence towards his children.
Police outside the West Pennant Hills home in 2018. Credit:Janie Barrett
"[The daughter] applied for an AVO because [Edwards] turned up at her doorstep wanting to see his grandchildren, and she didn't want him to see his grandchildren," Ms Morton told the inquest.
"The complaint wasn't that he had caused physical harm to her but he was an annoyance and wanted him to go away."
Counsel assisting the inquest, Katherine Richardson SC, asked Ms Morton whether she had read the application for the AVO, made out by Edwards' adult daughter.
In previous evidence, the inquest heard the adult daughter had been terrified after her father stalked her while picking up her child at daycare.
"On no view could someone reasonably read that incident and form the view that it just involved a grandfather being a mere annoyance," said Ms Richardson.
The inquest also heard that in the "child inclusive memorandum" tendered to the Family Court following a family conference with Jack and Jennifer, then 14 and 12, it made clear they didn't want to see their dad because they feared him.
"In the child inclusive memorandum, Jack said he didn't want to see his father and the reason he didn't want to see his father was because he was physically violent" Ms Richardson SC put to Ms Morton.
"Yes," said Ms Morton.
"Do you recall Jennifer said she didn't want to see her father for similar reasons...that he gets very angry and he mistreats her pets?" asked Ms Richardson SC.
"I do," Ms Morton said.
In previous evidence, the inquest heard that Edwards had bought Jennifer a pet puppy to reward her for getting into a selective high school. However, he would reportedly mistreat the pet in order to get Jennifer to come over to visit him.
The inquest has also heard Ms Morton insisted the children attend psychologist appointments with their father, and that she told Olga if she didn't make the children go, Ms Morton would recommend to the court that the children be removed from Olga's custody.
The inquest continues.
Get our Morning & Evening Edition newsletters
The most important news, analysis and insights delivered to your inbox at the start and end of each day. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald’s newsletter here, to The Age’s newsletter here and Brisbane Times' here.