A coroner’s investigation has revealed systemic failures linked to the tragic murder of an elderly couple by terror suspect Raghe Mohamed Abdi, who was on bail at the time. Abdi, 22, was fatally shot by Queensland Police on December 17, 2020, after he confronted officers with a knife on the Logan Motorway in Brisbane. Prior to this confrontation, Abdi had violently assaulted and killed Maurice, 87, and Zoe Antill, 86, in their Parkinson home.
Deputy State Coroner Stephanie Gallagher published her findings following inquests held in July 2023 and March 2024. She concluded that police acted appropriately when responding to Abdi’s aggressive behaviour, noting they had given him multiple opportunities to disarm. Gallagher confirmed that the Antills were victims of an apparently random attack by Abdi.
One significant issue highlighted in the findings was the failure of the monitoring company responsible for Abdi’s electronic tracking. Despite removing his tracking device the day before the murders, the company only sent a general tamper notification to a police work email, failing to alert a counter-terrorism officer directly. Gallagher indicated that this human error contributed to the inability to prevent the violence, stating, “This is not a satisfactory set of circumstances.”
Abdi had been under scrutiny by Queensland’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team for attempting to travel to Syria to join combat, and he had been fitted with an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his bail. However, on the day prior to the Antills’ murder, he managed to evade supervision by removing the device without the authorities being properly notified.
While Gallagher acknowledged the efforts by authorities to rectify these communication failings, she expressed concern about the implications of Abdi’s unmonitored freedom, particularly given his declining mental health and increasing radicalisation. She noted that despite ongoing police interventions, Abdi’s mental state was deteriorating.
Gallagher extended her condolences to both the families of the Antills and Abdi, emphasising the profound tragedy underlying the incident. The investigation underscored the pressing need for improved communication and monitoring processes to ensure the safety of the community in similar future cases.