Coronial inquests into Dezi Freeman's police killings and death in Victoria
Consensus Summary
Multiple news outlets are covering the coronial inquests into the deaths of two Victorian police officers, Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart, killed by Dezi Freeman on August 26, 2025, during a raid on his Porepunkah property for alleged historical child sex offences. Freeman, a self-described sovereign citizen with a history of hostility toward police, fatally shot the officers and fled into the bush, leading to a seven-month manhunt that ended when he was killed by police in a March 30, 2026, standoff at a Thologolong property. Two separate inquests are examining the circumstances of both incidents, with directions hearings held on May 25, 2026, and a coronial brief expected by October 30, 2026. Police used non-lethal tactics, including gas and foam rounds, before fatally shooting Freeman, who was armed with a stolen police firearm. Two men were arrested on May 26, 2026, in connection with Freemanās movements but were later released without charge. The inquests aim to determine how the deaths occurred and whether systemic changes could prevent similar tragedies, with families of the officers and Freemanās wife present during proceedings.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Dezi Freeman (aka Desmond Filby) killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson (59) and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart (34/35) on August 26, 2025, at Porepunkah, Victoria, during a police raid for alleged historical child sex offences.
- Freeman was shot dead by police on March 30, 2026, during a standoff at a Thologolong property near the Victoria-NSW border after seven months on the run.
- Two separate coronial inquests are being held: one for the deaths of Thompson and de Waart-Hottart, and another for Freemanās death, with directions hearings held on May 25, 2026.
- Freeman was armed with a shotgun and a police-issued firearm (stolen from de Waart-Hottart) during the August 26, 2025, shootout, and was later found with ammunition in his possession at Thologolong.
- Police used gas canisters, foam baton rounds, and a Bearcat vehicle to breach Freemanās shipping container hideout on March 30, 2026, before he was fatally shot by multiple officers.
- Freemanās wife, Amalia (Mali) Freeman, was present at both the Porepunkah and Thologolong incidents and fled with their child after the August 2025 shootings.
- Victoria Policeās Professional Standards Command is overseeing the investigation into Freemanās death, with Counsel Assisting Lindsay Spence leading the coronial brief.
- Two men (aged 48 and 35) were arrested on May 26, 2026, in connection with Freemanās movements during his time on the run, but were later released without charge.
- Freemanās death was ruled justified by Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush, who stated police exhausted all non-lethal options before shooting him.
- The search warrant for Freemanās property was issued due to allegations of historical child sexual offences, including the sexual assault of a child under 16 and attempts to involve a child in child abuse material production.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Freemanās text to his wife after the Porepunkah shootings read: 'Beb get mile away and keep going. See u in heaven luv'.
- Freeman was wearing a green bag over his hands when he emerged from the shipping container at Thologolong, which he dropped before pointing a firearm at police.
- A $1 million reward was offered for information leading to Freemanās capture on September 6, 2025.
- Freemanās family members, including Amalia Freeman, were present at the May 25, 2026, directions hearing.
- Freemanās counsel assisting, Lindsay Spence, did not repeat Freemanās words over the officersā bodies 'out of respect for the families'.
- Freemanās final words before the Thologolong shootout included taunting police with 'Cowards, come and get me' and 'Come and have a beer with me and weāll talk about it'.
- Freemanās voice memos on his phone captured audio from inside the shipping container, including negotiations and gunfire.
- Freemanās age was listed as 56 in multiple ABC articles, though other sources list him as 56 or 55 (no contradiction in core facts).
- Freemanās wife was described as carrying a 'small child' during the Porepunkah incident.
- The coronerās role is to examine the three deaths to establish how they occurred and make recommendations to prevent future deaths, per forensic criminologist Dr Claire Ferguson.
- Speculation exists over how Freeman traveled 150km from Porepunkah to Thologolong, with police exploring whether he received assistance.
- The Guardian emphasized the 'alleged sexual assault of a child' as the trigger for the search warrant, framing it as a key context for the inquest.
- The inquest heard child sex abuse allegations against Freeman as part of the broader context for the police raid.
- No additional unique details beyond those covered by other sources.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The age of Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart is listed as 34 in Article 2 (ABC) but as 35 in Article 4 (NEWSCOMAU) and 35 in Article 6 (Guardian).
- Article 2 (ABC) states Freeman was shot 'more than 20 times' during the Thologolong standoff, while other sources do not specify the exact number of shots.
- Article 7 (NEWSCOMAU) describes Freeman as a 'married father,' but no other source confirms the number of children or marital status beyond his wife Amalia Freeman being present.
- Article 3 (SBS) mentions 'child sex abuse allegations' without elaborating, while Articles 4, 6, and the Guardian provide specific details about the nature of the allegations (child sexual assault and child abuse material).
- Article 9 (ABC) states Freeman was shot in the leg with a 'non-lethal foam bullet,' while Article 5 (NEWSCOMAU) refers to 'foam baton rounds' without specifying the leg injury.
Source Articles
Dezi inquest: Probes into Freeman shooting, murders of police begins
Coronial inquiries into the shooting of Dezi Freeman outside a shipping container in Thologolong and the Porepunkah murders of policemen Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart are being held on Monday.
Live: Court details the moment Dezi Freeman killed two police officers
The details of Dezi Freeman's initial confrontation with police and text messages he sent to his wife after shooting two police officers have been revealed in a hearing.
Inquest hears child sex abuse allegations against Dezi Freeman
The inquest is being held into the deaths of two police officers killed by Dezi Freeman in north-east Victoria last year.
āDie in hellā: Deziās words after fatal shots
After killing two police officers, Dezi Freeman remarked āI had no choiceā and ādie in hellā, a court has been told.
Two arrests in Dezi Freeman investigation
Two people have been arrested as part of the investigation into the movements of cop killer Dezi Freeman.
Dezi Freeman inquest: police investigating alleged sexual assault of child when two killed, coroner hears
Directions hearing over deaths of Victoria police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart-Hottart told of new details of Porepunkah shooting Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The alleged sexual assault of a child has been revealed as the reason for a search warrant against Dezi Freeman that ended with him shooting dead two Victorian police officers. Fresh details into the August deaths of Det Leading Sen Const Ne
Probe to begin into cop killer Dezi Freeman
Inquests into the deaths of Dezi Freeman and the two police officers he killed are set to be called in court for the first time.
Two men released without charge after Dezi Freeman-related arrest
A 48-year-old and a 45-year-old were taken into custody by detectives from Taskforce Summit, who continued to investigate Freeman's movements after the fatal shooting of officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart at a Porepunkah property in Victoria's north-east in August last year.
Dezi Freeman goaded officers to 'come and get me' before fatal shooting
The Coroners Court has heard about Dezi Freeman's final moments before a fatal confrontation at his hideout in Victoria's north-east.
Two men arrested in connection to Dezi Freemanās movements after Porepunkah shootings
A 48-year-old and 35-year-old will be interviewed by police after their arrests at two separate locations in north-east Victoria Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Two men have been arrested in connection to Porepunkah shooter Dezi Freemanās months on the run after he killed two police officers. Police on Tuesday said detectives had arrested the men ā aged 48 and 35 ā at two separate locations in north-east Victoria
Breaking: Two men arrested by Dezi Freeman taskforce
Detectives investigating the movements of police killer Dezi Freeman have arrested two men in Victoria's north-east.