The family of a woman slain in a shopping centre stabbing spree has lashed inaccurate and insensitive media reporting and say it has caused them serious distress.
Both the mother and partner of Dawn Singleton, 25, said they heard her death at Westfield Bondi Junction on April 13, 2024, announced on a radio broadcast before they had even formally identified her.
Joel Cauchi, 40, had been experiencing psychotic symptoms when he fatally stabbed six people at the shopping centre and injured 10 others.
He was shot dead by Inspector Amy Scott minutes after his rampage began.
In a statement provided to an inquest into the tragedy, Ms Singleton's partner Ashley Wildey lashed Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley for broadcasting his fiancée's name and for presenting an "overfamiliarity" with her.
"The manner in which (Hadley) spoke of Dawn's death (was) extraordinarily troubling and offensive … (he) had not played any role in her life," he wrote.
"I find it highly offensive that (Hadley) appears to have capitalised on the unfathomable murder of my fiancée by immediately publicly broadcasting it on radio without even consulting her immediate family or myself."
Mr Wildey, who is a police officer, said "constant inaccurate reporting" and replaying of the incident had done "indescribable emotional damage" to him.
The statement was released as the police watchdog cleared NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb of a misconduct allegation related to the public release of Ms Singleton's identity.
The outgoing commissioner had been accused of breaching police media policy by providing the details to Mr Hadley before Ms Singleton's next-of-kin - Mr Wildey - was informed.
The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission was satisfied there was no misconduct by Ms Webb, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Ms Singleton's mother Julie also found the media's treatment of her family to be unacceptable.
"Reporters rang my doorbell and left notes in my mailbox seeking comment and information for a story … my family and I found this intrusive and it was unsettling to know journalists had visited my house," she wrote in her statement.
As the five-week inquest continued on Tuesday, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said it was not up to the force to always correct media misinformation.
He was grilled by a barrister representing the families of three victims about how information on violent crime was passed to journalists and the public.
Sue Chrysanthou SC said some of her clients perceived a "major issue" in how information had flowed from the police to the public
The barrister told the court a national media organisation wrongly reported that a nine-month-old baby had been killed in the attack.
Another news outlet named the wrong person as the perpetrator, Mr McKenna said.
But he said it was not NSW Police's role to respond to all misinformation sent out to the public.
"If we didn't put out the name, it's not necessarily our responsibility to clarify that," Mr McKenna told the inquest.
"If we tried to do something every time the media puts out something that's inaccurate, that's all we'd do."
Questioned about how officers released private details such as the names of dead people and medical information about those injured, Mr McKenna said police guidelines were a "starting point".
He said it was up to officers who could send details to those not the senior next-of-kin in extraordinary circumstances.
However, he admitted there was no written process where justification had to be sent up the chain of command before approval was given.
The inquest continues.
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