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Paul Jones wants to know how his three-year-old son Lachlan died and has now hired a private investigator.
The night her son died, nearly a year ago, on January 29, 2020, Jones said he was told by Gore police that Lachlan’s death was accidental drowning after he was found in a sewage pond in Gore. His death has been referred to the coroner.
Jones still doesn’t know how her son got to the pond, and has appointed the investigator and a new attorney from out of the southern district to investigate the case.
“It is devastating not knowing what happened. If it was an accident, maybe that would make it a little easier, but I don’t think it was an accident. “
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* The police look again at the mysterious death in Gore.
* The Gore District Council was indicted after a child drowned in sewage ponds
* The city council fences the sewage ponds after the drowning of a three-year-old boy
* No police charges after child drowned in Gore District Council sewage pond
Jones does not believe that Lachlan walked to the pond without assistance because there were no marks on his bare feet.
“I need the truth to come out. Not just for me, but for my son. As for me, I should have been here still. “
Police announced in July 2020 that no charges would be filed in connection with Lachlan’s death.
In October, after Jones took to the media with his concerns about the outcome of the police investigation, Detective Inspector Shona Low said police would review the case.
SUPPLIED
Three-year-old Lachlan Jones drowned in the sewage ponds of Gore City Hall in January 2020.
This week, a police spokesman said: “The investigation remains open and we have reviewed various aspects of the file as part of the review. This has been managed by a detective inspector together with other investigators from the CIB. We have no further updates to provide currently. “
Jones’ private investigator is expected to begin work on Gore next week.
“First is [the investigator] reviewing the original police file, and then he will make his presence here and re-investigate it on my behalf. He’ll see how things were done and the timelines, and put it all together, ” Jones said.
“The first thing I would like to know is how my son turned out. Where is the proof [he walked]? I have to get some kind of proof that it came out. ”
The sewage ponds where Lachlan drowned were about 1.2 km from his home.
Jones said he is more hopeful, than optimistic, that there will be an outcome that answers his questions about how Lachlan died from the police review of the case.
“The police cannot return with the same scenario, it is not feasible. It would be a sham if they did.
“I had a meeting with them and they told me that it would be investigated as if it were a homicide. That was long before Christmas and I hope to have another meeting with them in February. ”
Stuff
Paul Jones has hired a private investigator to investigate why his son drowned in a sewage pond in Gore.
In the days after the death, the police requested the sighting of Lachlan the night he died.
He was found by the police around 11.15 pm
It was thought that he had wandered away from his mother’s home on Salford St, crossed a fence, and walked through long, thorny grass to reach the sewage pond. It was a distance of more than a kilometer and Lachlan had a full diaper, Jones said.
His bare feet didn’t have a scratch, his dad said.
Rather than being a wandering kid, he was clingy and well behaved, Jones said.
“It is not in their nature to just take off and walk away. He was hugely out of line, I just couldn’t believe it. ”
Jones said her son’s death was not getting any easier to handle.
“Having some answers may make things easier, but the pain will never go away. I’m amazed at how strong I’ve been, but that’s because of my son.
“I wanted for 20 years to be a father and I couldn’t believe it when I had Lachlan.”
The Gore District Council has pleaded not guilty to the charges WorkSafe bought about the death.
Since Lachlan’s death, the council has fenced off the ponds.
