THE first day of an inquest into the shooting deaths of Geoff and Kim Hunt and their three children, Fletcher, 10, Mia, 8, and Phoebe, 6, devoted a lot of time to Mrs Hunt’s mental health over the last two years of her life, but it seems certain Mr Hunt tragically snapped and killed his family.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Wagga-based inquest was told of a note found on the Lockhart district family’s dining room table after Mrs Hunt was found dead outside the house with a blue jacket covering single a shotgun wound to her forehead about 2.50pm on September 9 last year.
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. Totally mine,” the note read.
NSW Police hand-writing expert Melanie Holt told the inquest she believed the note was written by Mr Hunt as Mrs Hunt’s injuries affected her writing.
After police unsuccessfully looked for Mr Hunt after finding his wife, they went back inside the house and found the three children dead in their beds.
Each suffered a single shotgun head wound.
A police diver found Mr Hunt dead from a single shotgun wound in a nearby dam the following day. It appears Mr Hunt killed his family some time after he spoke with his brother Allen about 7.30pm on September 9.
In her opening address, Dr Dwyer said she should state from the outset the evidence would establish Mr Hunt killed his family.
Dr Dwyer told Mr Barnes there were no financial or business stressors on the Hunt family and there was no history of domestic violence, but a car crash in July, 2012, resulted in Mrs Hunt suffering a significant brain injury that changed her into a person who had limited capacity to cope with her family and was capable of exploding with rage.
The inquest heard Mr and Mrs Hunt struggled daily with the accident’s consequences and received support, including marriage counselling.
The inquest continues on Wednesday with evidence from the last person to see the Hunt family alive, Mrs Hunt’s personal carer Lorraine Bourke.