Inquest to hear ‘brain injury’ impact on police shooter
A coroner investigating the shooting deaths of six people in rural Queensland will hear from a neurologist on whether a prior brain injury caused psychosis in one of the offenders.
NSW principal Nathaniel Train, 47, joined his younger brother Gareth Train, 46, in a fatal sniper ambush of two police officers at Wieambilla, west of Brisbane on the afternoon of December 12, 2022.
Consultant neurologist, Professor Christian Gericke reviewed Nathaniel’s medical records and is due to provide an expert medical opinion to Brisbane Coroners Court on Tuesday on whether a cardiac arrest might have had any lasting effect on his cognitive abilities.
State Coroner Terry Ryan previously heard Nathaniel suffered a cardiac arrest while at work 16 months before the shootings and might have suffered from a lack of oxygen to the brain while co-workers tried to revive him.
Nathaniel would later abandon his highly successful career and illegally cross the Queensland border during COVID lockdowns with a cache of firearms to live with Gareth and wife Stacey on their remote bushland block west of Brisbane.
The Trains also fatally shot their neighbour before specialist police killed all three family members during a shootout later that night.
Prof Gericke will give evidence that a thorough analysis of Nathaniel Train’s medical records has not revealed any evidence for the hypothesis that the cardiac arrest caused an enduring brain injury.
Mr Ryan will hear Prof Gericke’s findings that in turn, such a brain injury could not have caused emotional or behavioural dysfunction that could have explained Nathaniel’s actions on the day of the shootings.
Associate Professor of Politics at Deakin University, Professor Josh Roose, is also due to give evidence about his 400-page expert report identifying the political, religious and ideological influences that shaped the actions of the Trains.
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