Judicial investigation into the Floreat double homicide begins with the playback of emergency calls
“Desperate Triple Zero calls played in Floreat double murder inquest”
Forensic Headline Assessment: The original headline uses an emotional tone ('desperate calls') to capture attention, while the sanitized version describes the institutional event in a strictly objective manner.
The judicial inquiry into the murder of Jennifer and Gretl Petelczyc, which occurred in May 2024 in the Perth suburb of Floreat, began this Monday with the presentation of audio records from Triple Zero emergency service calls. During the initial hearing, delays in telephone handling and the police response to the assailant, Mark Bombara, were examined.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Rachael Young SC, revealed to the court that the first call made by young Gretl Petelczyc was not answered by the police assistance center for one minute and 20 seconds. Despite the call being disconnected, police protocols requiring a callback or the immediate dispatch of patrols were not fulfilled at that time.
The court also heard recordings and testimony detailing how Bombara, armed with two handguns, broke into the residence looking for his estranged wife, Rowena. Multiple subsequent calls made by family members mobilized the police, whose officers entered the residence approximately 18 minutes after the initial alert, finding Jennifer Petelczyc and the assailant lifeless, while Gretl later passed away in the hospital.
Additionally, the inquiry addressed the medical history of the attacker, who had suffered an acquired brain injury months earlier following strokes. Bombara's children expressed their dissatisfaction with the psychiatric care received at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, arguing that family warnings regarding his mental state and potential risk were ignored prior to his discharge from the hospital.
- The judicial investigation into the Floreat double homicide opened in November 2026.
- Four Triple Zero emergency service calls made by the victims and relatives were played.
- Coroner's counsel pointed out that the police breached protocol by failing to return the initial call after the disconnection.
- The assailant's family questioned the prior psychiatric evaluation conducted by Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Corroborates: Desperate Triple Zero calls played in Floreat double murder inquest