NEWS: Daily Telegraph - 25/05/09 'Cops assumed raver died from drugs'

[hoptis]

Cops 'assumed raver died from drugs'
By Crystal Ja
AAP
May 25, 2009 05:56pm

Inquest ... a post-mortem examination uncovered no trace of drugs in Daneeka Nixon's system / Police Media

POLICE presumed the death of a woman at an all-night rave was caused by drugs and alcohol instead of following up other leads, a coroner has been told.

Daneeka Nixon, 25, was found lifeless in a dam several days after going missing from a "doof party" held near Lismore in April 2006.

Police believed the death to be non-suspicious after witnesses told them she had been drinking and taking drugs on the night.

A coronial inquest today heard various witnesses reported seeing her "roaming around in a state of apparent confusion" before she was last seen walking in the direction of the dam.

But Detective Senior Constable Adam Rhodes was forced to admit police had made an early assumption based on those facts.

"Was an assumption made by police that following a doof party where drugs were consumed ... she had wandered off and drowned," Andrew Boe, for Ms Nixon's family, asked.

"Yes," Det Snr Const Rhodes replied.

"And did that close off any desire to investigate whether that assumption was correct?" Mr Boe continued.

"There was no injuries or any assault prior to, or any evidence anyone wanted to harm Daneeka," Det Rhodes replied.

But police were aware Ms Nixon had had a verbal stoush with a male stranger at the party, who has since been called to give evidence at the inquest.

A post-mortem examination uncovered no trace of drugs in her system and only a small amount of alcohol.

Ms Nixon was without her shoes or underwear when found in the dam and Det Rhodes conceded it was possible she may have been dead before she entered the body of water.

Police were also criticised for taking almost a week to find Ms Nixon's body.

There is no recorded evidence of police conducting a search of the water - only its perimeter - prior to the discovery of her body.

Ms Nixon's father, Paul, had earlier rung police, complaining about the dam not being searched and was barred from entering the property after offering to look in it himself.

Mr Boe said Ms Nixon's family had various concerns about the manner of the police investigation.

Her parents and other family members were in court to hear the evidence before Deputy State Coroner Malcolm MacPherson, who warned them it could be traumatic.

Counsel assisting the coroner Duane Carey said the inquest was expected to continue for five days and hear from Ms Nixon's friends who were among the 250 people at the rave.

News.com.au

 

[Crankinit]

Wow, that's fucked up. Especially at a doof, they usually have such a nice atmosphere :/

Fucking cops, if somebody who takes drugs die, they have to have died from drugs right :/

 

[Heisenberg]

Harm reduction at doofs.. We need to take it up a notch.

Another word, it was in a paper though, she was apparently on prescription anti-depessants, whether or not she went off them to drink or maybe try to score a pill was unknown. This is what I remember from the initial news ages ago in the papers

 

[hyroller]

far out. how sad - especially that they took so long to find her.

not good at all the fact she had no undies almost leads me to think attempted rape.. maybe she drowned trying to get away or something

stupid of them to assume without facts in the first place though, really.

 

[Heisenberg]

That would be sad but Im sure thats the first signs they would look for

 

[smiggle]

If you were the police wouldn't you firstly take a blood sample so you knew what kind of drug she died of and then tell the media so they could blow it all out of proportion...?

It's a sad thing to happen at a doof where the air is filled with free happy high spirits and positive energy... This would of just ruined so many peoples experience.

Also I see the police are doing a fine job once again excelling in the field pfft! 8)

It's so sad when something like this happens and at such a young age as well, she probably wouldn't of been able to experience the mature joys of life like owning a house or raising a family or striving for a successful career... So so sad!

 

[static_mind]

How easy is LSD to detect or perhaps some DOX compound. Maybe they just looked for the wrong drugs.

 

[drug_mentor]

Incompetent arseholes! Just assume the dead raver took drugs and that was the cause of death so they don't have to bother doing their jobs, fucking ridiculous.

 

[Heisenberg]

LSD can be detected in large lots (probably depends on purity too) but dogs are not trained to sniff it.

 

[dextrous]

Don't 'doofers' hate being called ravers?

 

[phase_dancer]

LSD can be detected in large lots (probably depends on purity too) but dogs are not trained to sniff it.

Dogs in this country may one day be trained to detect LSD

Sigma Aldrich Pseudo Narcotic Scent

 

[baysieguy1]

Don't 'doofers' hate being called ravers?

Off topic I know, but surely that is just semantics, we all love the music.

Poor girl, feel sad for her family, it annoys me the attitude, "she was just some alternative lifestyler, probably did some drugs and though she would go for a swim, bloody stupid druggies!!"
Where is the respect for life of these coppers, assume nothing, isnt that what their taught at the bloody academy?????

 

[The Trickster]

Northern NSW has had a few terrible incidents over the last couple of years. In 2006 on the final day of a three day party, a young skydiver jumped out of a helicopter with a burning flare attached to him, as a part of the show. Tragically his parachute did not open, culminating in him crashing into a car parked just back from the party killing him instantly. Not a good look, lots of loved up people really enjoying the party’s final day and then instant horror. This in turn was followed by an influx of police choppers, rescue people and the media circus. Friends told me it was terrible.

With regard to the above young woman’s death my understanding was that the crew had packed up and most people had gone home and the question was raised about a car that was unclaimed. This in turn was the catalyst to start this inquiry culminating in the discoverer of her body.
I heard this along the grape vine through several questionable sources as I was not at the party. Could be complete here say. Very sad none the less, always a real tragedy when you consider that most doofs are relatively safe within the bigger picture of things.

 

[Crankinit]

Don't 'doofers' hate being called ravers?

As far as the media and the general public are concerned, loud electronic music = a rave, and people who go to parties with loud electronic music = ravers. They don't really make a distinction between ravers/doofers/junglists/electro kids etc.

Kind of silly when you consider that a doof has just as much in common with hippy culture as it does rave culture, if not more.

 

[Heisenberg]

Dogs in this country may one day be trained to detect LSD

Sigma Aldrich Pseudo Narcotic Scent

Theyd have to be using strong intelligence for it to be any worth.
Only takes one little package and you got a years worth of crystal LSD for the country.

 

[chugs]

look i think the police are a protective force that maintains the status quo for the wealthy elite that allow us to forget about attacking the roots of social problems by jamming people into overcrowded prisons (paraphrased from the Simpsons)...

but seriously though whenever these articles come up the comments are all the same. Police are criticised for their response unless one of the makes a statement about legalisation. Mostly the cops are bagged out for their usual response.

The journo are in turn merciless flayed for mistakes and generalisations. Incorrect nomenclature, misconceptions and above all bigoted statements about those utilise narcotics and other psycho active substances.

Yet the moment the journo criticises the cop we accept the journo's claim unquestionably.

Its sort of like you've all forgot how badly the media works. If your going to blindly accept whatever a journo writes then you guys should probably watch media watch a few times.

I've of tried to be eloquent but I'm tired. On that same note please excuse the grammar

 

[Heisenberg]

Tweed Daily News 26th May, 2009

An editor forwarded me this from the local news down there.

Woman 'on drugs before dam death'

A RAVER attending a 'doof party" at a rural property near Lismore had taken drugs and was wandering about in a confused state before she was found dead in a nearby dam, a court has heard.

Gold Coast woman Daneeka Nixon, 25, died after attending an all-night rave party hosting more than 200 people at The Channon, north of Lismore, in April 2006.

A coronial inquest has been set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death, including the possibility that she may have not just drowned.

The Lismore inquest yesterday was told Ms Nixon had consumed alcohol and smoked marijuana before she was last seen heading in the direction of the dam.

Detective Senior Constable Adam Rhodes said various witnesses reported her "roaming around in a state of apparent confusion" throughout the night. Her disappearance went unsolved for a week before her body was eventually found in the dam.

Solicitor Andrew Boe, representing Ms Nixon's family, questioned why it took so long for police to find her despite an extensive search.

According to a police breif of evidence, there was no record of a search of the dam, only its perimeter.

The family were also denied permission to search after the search was taking so long.

Under Mr Boes questioning, Snr Const Rhodes also admitted the death was not suspicious given the proximity of the party and the fact she had consumed alcohol.

Detective Rhodes said police had no reason to suspect that Ms Nixon had been harmed.

The inquest continues.

 

[phase_dancer]

Theyd have to be using strong intelligence for it to be any worth.
Only takes one little package and you got a years worth of crystal LSD for the country.

If some events were targeted it could prove a much easier task...

 

[Heisenberg]

If some events were targeted it could prove a much easier task...

Wonder if DOx's sniff as amphetamine