Josh Warneke inquest: Experts give differing views as to how Broome man’s injuries were sustained

A machete, a star picket or a glancing blow from a car’s tyre could all have caused the severe head injuries suffered by Broome man Josh Warneke. The differing views and opinions were aired by a range of experts in the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, as an inquest continues to examine the circumstances of Mr Warneke’s death. Mr Warneke’s body was found on the outskirts of Broome on February 26, 2010, after he spent the night out with friends and decided to walk home. He had sustained massive head injuries, including a 9cm laceration to his head. On Wednesday, two esteemed forensic pathologists who have closely examined the 21-year-old’s death said they were of the view Mr Warneke’s injuries were sustained by a “glancing blow” possibly from a tyre, or a motor vehicle. Dr Clive Cooke and Dr Michael Burke both gave evidence on Wednesday expressing those views. Dr Burke said it was his opinion the injuries were “far beyond” what one would expect from a blow applied to the back of the head from a weapon. “I favour that it’s not an assault,” Dr Burke said. “It’s much more likely he’s been hit once, a glancing blow from a vehicle. That’s much more likely.” Dr Cooke, who carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Warneke’s body in 2010, agreed with Dr Burke’s assessment. He said it was likely the 21-year-old had sustained his head injuries from a vehicle while he was lying face down on the road, although he said he could not rule out the possibility of a weapon being used. “The main impact occurred while he was lying face down,” Dr Cooke said. “I’m leaning towards him being run over.” But contrary to those views, one of WA’s most renowned neurosurgeons Professor Bryant Stokes AO said he believed a “sharp instrument” and not a car had caused Mr Warneke’s head injuries. The inquest previously heard that in 2015, Prof. Stokes provided a report to WA Police on the Warneke case. In that report he said Mr Warneke was not struck by a motor vehicle. Giving evidence to the inquest via video link on Wednesday, Prof. Stokes said he believed a “sharp instrument” had been used to inflict at least two blows to the 21-year-old’s head on the night he died. “It was an assault in my opinion, not a motor vehicle accident,” he said. “It could have been a machete or a star picket ... or an axe, or something of that nature.” When asked if a car tyre could have inflicted Mr Warneke’s head lacerations, Prof. Stokes said: “I don’t believe so.” Professor Timothy Ackland, an expert in biomechanics, also testified at the inquest on Wednesday. He was of the opinion that Mr Warneke was not struck by a car, or any object protruding from a car. Prof. Ackland said it was more likely the 21-year-old was struck with a weapon when he was either standing, stooping or kneeling on the ground where he was found, although he could not say what type of weapon was used. In his evidence on Wednesday, Dr Cooke described some of the hairs found in Mr Warneke’s hands on the night he died as “very puzzling”. The court was previously told the hairs in his left hand were associated with blood staining but that the hairs in the palm of his right hand were not. “The presence of hair without blood doesn’t make much sense,” Dr Cooke said. Dr Cooke said he could, however, rule out the possibility that Mr Warneke had been hit by a car while standing up. After being cross-examined by lawyer Claire Bass, who is representing Mr Warneke’s mother at the inquest, Dr Burke described cases such as Mr Warneke’s as “really difficult” to examine forensically. He said he could not say categorically whether Mr Warneke’s injuries were from the tyre of a car. “I’m not saying it was a tyre,” he said. “My opinion is that it was not inflicted from a weapon. “I believe it was from a motor vehicle. I think that’s the most likely scenario.” The inquest continues.