TRUE CRIME TASMANIA — WEEKLY WRAP
Week of September 18–25, 2026

TOP STORY: Hillcrest jumping castle inquest begins
The long-awaited coronial inquest into the 2021 Hillcrest Primary School jumping castle tragedy, which killed six grade 5/6 students, opened this week and has dominated Tasmanian news. Families shared memories of the children on the opening day (Mon 21). By Tuesday and Wednesday the inquest heard harrowing evidence about the rescue effort and how the tragedy prompted changes to hospital protocols. On Friday (25th), Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar testified that reviewing body-worn camera footage affected him as deeply as the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, saying “the trauma is still the same.” He revealed 11 officers lodged workers’ comp claims (10 accepted), five remain off work, four have left the force, and police have spent $7.93 million on settlements and treatment. He also formally apologised to mother Georgie Burt, who was not allowed to be with her son after his death while other families were. The inquest has adjourned to October 9, with further hearings in November and February in Devonport.

RECORD DRUG BUST: $8.5m ice seizure near Burnie
Police intercepted two vehicles at a beachside car park near Burnie on Friday 20th, seizing 17kg of methamphetamine — believed to be the largest single “ice” seizure in Tasmanian history, worth an estimated $8.5 million street value, plus about $100,000 in cash. A 40-year-old NSW man and a 41-year-old Hobart man (allegedly linked to an outlaw motorcycle gang) were charged with trafficking. The Joint Organised Crime Task Force led the operation and police say further arrests are expected.

Also this week:

• Trafficking charges, Mayfield/Invermay: Two men were charged after search warrants executed Wednesday (23rd) turned up drugs, cash and stolen property, including a stolen shotgun.
• Arson charge, Burnie: A woman was charged with arson over a fire at the Spencer Clinic, part of the North West Regional Hospital, on Sunday (20th).
• New Town Kmart assault: A 13-year-old girl was charged after a disturbance involving a group of youths near Kmart New Town (Wed–Thu). Police are still investigating others potentially involved.
• Bunnings Kings Meadows assault: Police are seeking witnesses (and a 4WD seen on CCTV) after a young man was assaulted in the car park Thursday afternoon.
• Devonport sentencing: A man avoided jail over a drunken street attack in Devonport, receiving a suspended sentence; the judge warned that “drunken street violence of this nature continues to pose a significant problem.”
• Crypto ATM scam warning: Police issued a warning after Tasmanians lost more than $1.5 million over three months to romance, investment and “recovery” scams funnelled through cryptocurrency ATMs.
• Fatal crashes: A fatal two-vehicle crash on the East Derwent Highway near Otago Bay killed one person and seriously injured another (Fri 25th). Separately, a coroner’s report linked fatigue and alcohol to an earlier fatal crash on Tomahawk Road in the north-east.