A coroner has cleared police of any fault in the death of a man who consumed a poisonous substance during an arrest in Kyneton last year. Phillip Reidy, 27, died at his home on Windridge Way on July 2, 2024, after ingesting a lethal substance while being arrested for criminal damage related to an alleged domestic violence incident.
Coroner Paul Lawrie found that police acted appropriately when they allowed Mr Reidy to use the bathroom while placing handcuffs on him. Within nine seconds of removing the handcuffs, Mr Reidy walked to a desk, picked up a white bottle, and consumed the poison. He collapsed shortly after, telling officers, 'I'm dying.' Despite CPR and paramedic efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The inquest heard that Mr Reidy suffered from mental health issues and intentionally used the poison to take his own life. The coroner noted that Mr Reidy moved in a manner designed to mask his intent, making it impossible for officers to prevent the act. A briefing officer had failed to pass on information from Mr Reidy's partner that he possessed poison, but the coroner accepted this as 'human fallibility' and concluded it would not have changed the outcome.
Coroner Lawrie called for a unified national approach to regulating schedule seven poisons after learning Mr Reidy purchased the substance online from a New South Wales company using a false 'scientific use' exemption. The exemption, which applies in NSW but not Victoria, allowed the supply to a person claiming to be in charge of a scientific institution. Mr Reidy used fake details for a company called THX Network, which a quick internet search would have revealed as a blockchain loyalty program, not a scientific organization.
The coroner emphasized that the company delivered the poison into Victoria, where the exemption did not apply, highlighting the need for consistent national regulations. A victim impact statement from Mr Reidy's mother, Sandra, described him as a caring person who struggled with ADHD and mental health conditions, expressing hope that lessons could be learned to support others facing similar challenges.
