It is not "best practice" to re-question police officers about their inconsistent statements on the death in custody of an Aboriginal woman, a coronial investigator says.
Yorta Yorta grandmother Tanya Day, 55, suffered a head injury while in custody at Castlemaine after the 55-year-old was arrested for being drunk on a train in December 2017.
She died about two weeks later and a mandatory coronial inquest in Melbourne is being held.
Police officers Senior Constable Danny Wolters and Sergeant Edwina Neale were on duty the night Ms Day fell in the Castlemaine police cells, but gave inconsistent reports about what happened.
Coronial investigator Detective Senior Constable Scott Riley said he "considered it not to be best practice" to ask the officers about the discrepancies, he told the inquiry on Thursday.
"It was considered to be best practice to accept the statement as the evidence of that person" and to get that statement "as soon as you can" he said.
Det Snr Const Riley admitted there was nothing preventing him asking questions or requesting another statement but "I believe I conducted a thorough investigation".
The investigator also told the inquiry he had knowledge of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody but had no training or knowledge in relation to it.
A Professional Standards Command detective disputed the explanation into the discrepancies at the inquest into Ms Day's death.
"I believe you should re-canvas if required," Professional Standards Command Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Patrick said. He was given oversight into the coronial investigation.
The detective told the coroner he had no knowledge of why the investigator did not go back and question the two officers.
An internal investigation found allegations Snr Const Wolters failed to check on Ms Day every 30 minutes as required was "substantiated", Det Patrick revealed.
But the same claim against Ms Neale was "not substantiated" and that he accepted Sgt Neale's statement as truthful.
Snt Const Wolters got "workplace guidance" after the death.
The inquest will resume on Friday with Victoria Police Superintendent Sue Thomas expected to give evidence, and members of Ms Day's family.
AAP
