Murdered pregnant woman’s mum says police failed her daughter

The mother of a pregnant woman shot dead by her ex-boyfriend in a triple killing that shocked Australia has revealed her daughter gave police critical information about the man’s access to guns months earlier.

Cathy Quinn says police failed her daughter and the deaths could have been prevented if Julian Ingram wasn’t released on bail before the shootings in Lake Cargelligo, about 450 kilometres west of Sydney, in January.

The 37-year-old, who was found dead in bushland last month, killed Sophie, 25, her friend John Harris, 32, and Sophie’s aunt Nerida, 50, as well as shooting Kaleb Macqueen, 19, the only victim to survive.

During a vigil outside Parliament House today, Cathy said Sophie feared for her life and told police about the guns after he assaulted her in November.

“She went up there to have him charged for assault,” Cathy told 9News. 

“She told him where he had the guns, where they were buried in his backyard, the description of the guns, and they didn’t do anything about it.”

Ingram was charged with stalking and assault but granted bail. Cathy said Sophie had hoped to prevent his release but she wasn’t taken seriously and an officer allegedly said “we’ll deal with that later”.

“They should have acted on it straight away, and they shouldn’t have let him have bail,” she said.

“If he wasn’t bailed today, if he wasn’t bailed, they’d still be alive today.”

Cathy said Ingram had threatened Sophie before.

“He drove her around, wouldn’t let her out of the shire council ute, and asked her where did she want to be buried before she was shot,” she said.

Police declined to comment today, citing an ongoing investigation into the actions of police in the lead-up to the triple murder and Ingram’s access to firearms.

In February, Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said police actions and investigations would be “reviewed to ensure they complied with policy, procedure and legislation”.

“Fresh information has come forward that’s given me reason to believe the matter needs to be further investigated,” he said.

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Loved ones of the victims want answers, for someone to be held accountable and are pushing for changes to make it harder for domestic violence offenders to be granted bail.

“We need to not keep putting these offenders back into our communities to have this kind of stuff happen,” Nerida’s daughter, Mikaila Elms, told 9News, calling for Molly’s Law to be more strictly enforced.

“Like the DV laws need to be tightened and bail for offenders should just not be possible at all if there’s a history at all. Don’t let them back.”

It was Cathy’s first time speaking on camera about her loss and she was emotional at times, appearing to wipe away tears as she spoke about the importance of keeping the victims’ spirits alive.

She remembered Sophie as a funny woman always cracking jokes, who would “do anything for anybody, especially her granny”.

Cathy wore a shirt bearing the faces of the three people who were shot dead, along with an ultrasound of Sophie’s unborn baby, Troy.

“She was told she could never have kids, and then she ended up falling pregnant, and everything just changed, like she was going to be a mum, and yeah, she never will be,” Cathy said.

“ … She would have made the best mum, he would have been very spoiled, but she would have been the best.”

Ingram’s badly decomposed body was found at Mount Hope, about an hour north-west of Lake Cargelligo, last month, alongside the ute he’d been driving, a shotgun and a rifle.

“I’m upset that he won’t face justice, but I’m glad he did what he did to himself,” Cathy said.

“He doesn’t deserve to walk this earth. He doesn’t deserve for taxpayers to pay for him to eat. He deserves nothing.”

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).