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🇦🇺 Australia /Crime & Justice

Court hears boy who died sleeping rough in skip bin was missing for days

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • A coronial inquest heard that a 13-year-old First Nations boy, identified as Budda Spencer, died in May 2021 after sleeping in an industrial skip bin that was tipped by a garbage truck.
  • The boy had been missing for five days prior to his death, during which time he reportedly slept rough and evaded police attempts to return him home.
  • The inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding his death, including whether he received appropriate support from child protection agencies.

A 13-year-old First Nations boy, referred to as Budda Spencer by his family, died in May 2021 after sleeping in an industrial skip bin that was subsequently tipped by a garbage truck driver during a routine collection in Port Lincoln, Australia. A coronial inquest into his death has heard that Budda Spencer had been missing for five days before the tragic incident.

The trio had not slept in the bin before this night.

— Rebecca SchellSpecial counsel assisting the coroner described the circumstances leading up to the boy's death.

On the night of his death, Budda Spencer was with two other boys, aged 11 and 12, who were under the care of the Department for Child Protection. They were not harmed in the incident. The inquest was told that the trio had decided not to return home that night and had not slept in the bin before. Despite the cold, they found warmth inside the bin and used cardboard for insulation. All three boys awoke as the bin was being tipped but managed to scramble out, except for Budda Spencer, who reportedly attempted to climb out but was told to stay down by a friend.

The three boys lay down in the bin in a row. They had planned to stay awake at night but they all fell asleep.

— Rebecca SchellThe special counsel detailed the events of the night the boy died.

Special counsel assisting the coroner, Rebecca Schell, informed the inquest that the driver stopped the truck immediately upon noticing Budda's friend waving his arms frantically. Budda Spencer died while trying to escape the garbage truck. The inquest, presided over by deputy state coroner Naomi Kereru, is expected to focus on the adequacy of agency support provided to the boy and his family.

The inquest heard that, in the five days before his death when Budda Spencer was missing from home, the boy was spotted at a youth event, and that he had also slept rough at a football oval grandstand in Port Lincoln.

— Rebecca SchellThe court was informed about the boy's activities during the period he was missing.

During the five days Budda Spencer was missing, he was reportedly seen at a youth event and slept rough at a football oval grandstand. Police located him during this period and attempted to take him home, but he ran off when no one answered the door. The court also heard that the teenager had a good rapport with a petrol station worker who regularly provided him with food. The inquest will continue in Port Lincoln before moving to Adelaide.

No-one answered the door … and [Budda] Spencer ran off from the police.

— Rebecca SchellThe special counsel recounted an incident where police attempted to return the boy home.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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