UNIFORMED police have an unwritten understanding not to enter Crown Casino’s gaming room floor unless specifically requested by the casino, an inquest into the death of Anthony Dunning has heard.
Anthony Dunning, 40, was tackled to the ground and restrained by bouncers in the gaming area of the Melbourne casino in July 2011.
He died four days later in hospital.
Two bouncers charged with Mr Dunning’s manslaughter were acquitted while a third man charged with assault was found not guilty.
Homicide Squad Detective Sgt Paul Rowe told the court a triple 000 call was made on the night by a witness, but she hung up because she was afraid the security guards would hear her.
When police phoned Crown to ask about the call, they were told they were not required.
Sgt Rowe said he was unaware of an official policy regarding police attending Crown, but said uniformed officers would not walk onto the gaming room floor unless specifically requested by Crown.
“It was discouraged for uniformed police to wander through the gaming floor,” he told the court. “We’d only go if requested.”
But Crown chief operating officer Xavier Walsh said he was unaware of any restrictions on police movements within the complex.
“We welcome the police. We see them frequently in the complex, including the gaming floor,” he said. “Police are welcome to roam wherever they see fit.”
Sgt Rowe said Mr Dunning might still be alive today had police been called the moment the incident became physical and supported mandatory reporting of serious incidents.
“Assault type situations very much need to be brought to police attention,” he said.
Mr Dunning’s father William told the court his son was not confrontational on the night and was scathing of Crown security staff training.
“The training provided by Crown is wholly inadequate,” he said.
Two staff, Matthew Scott Lawson, 28, and Cameron Paul Sanderson, 42, were charged with manslaughter but acquitted in October 2012.
A third bouncer, Benjamin Michael Vigo, 25, was found not guilty of assaulting Mr Dunning.
William Dunning told the court Mr Lawson had been involved in a violent altercation on the job just two weeks before his son’s death and should not have been working on the casino floor.
“Why was he on duty and involved in restraining Anthony?” he said.
Mr Walsh told the court he believed security staff had acted reasonably in their handling of Mr Dunning, but accepted they had not acted in accordance with Crown training when an officer grabbed him around the neck and another sat on his back.
He said the casino had thoroughly examined and enhanced security protocols, procedures and training since the tragedy.
Outside court, William Dunning said he suspected nothing had changed.
“I’d like them to prove those changes have been made,” he said.
State Coroner Judge Ian Gray is expected to hand down his finding early next year.