![\"Where](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779706329_29_where-to-get-help-for-sexual-violence-7576QOEMFRDDNKS46LUYEQHF5E.png\")
<\/p>\nThe final moments before double police killer Dezi Freeman died in a hail of bullets have been outlined ahead of an inquest.<\/p>\n
Holding a police-issued handgun stolen from an officer he had left for dead months prior, Freeman was struck in a hail of police bullets on March 30 at a remote property in Thologolong, Victoria. <\/p>\n
Fresh details of Freeman’s death were detailed in a Coroners Court directions hearing on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The court earlier heard the 56-year-old killed Senior Constable Vadmin de Waart-Hottart and Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson on his Porepunkah property, 310km northwest of Melbourne, in August 2025.<\/p>\n
The officers were executing a warrant after disclosure of an alleged sexual assault involving a child, as well as an attempt to involve a child in the production of child abuse material.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Where to get help for sexual violence. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
Seven months later, Freeman would point the stolen gun at a team of arresting officers before being shot himself.<\/p>\n
Counsel assisting Lindsay Spence told the court officers tracked Freeman down to a shipping container in Thologolong.<\/p>\n
Police surrounded the dwelling on the morning of March 30, attempting to negotiate with Freeman via loudspeaker.<\/p>\n
After two hours of negotiations, police deployed gas inside the shipping container.<\/p>\n
Freeman emerged with a green bag covering his hands, before dropping the bag and revealing a firearm.<\/p>\n
“The deceased was struck and immediately fell to the ground,” Spence told the court.<\/p>\n
“The black handgun, which the deceased had pointed and discharged at the (Special Operations Group) members, was later confirmed as the police-issued handgun he had stolen from Senior Constable Vadmin de Waart-Hottart.”<\/p>\n
Freeman was wanted over the fatal shooting of two Victorian police officers seven months ago. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
‘Die in hell’<\/p>\n
Freeman had told the fatally wounded officer to die in hell moments before shooting him again, the court was earlier told.<\/p>\n
Police had been attempting to arrest Freeman at Porepunkah, where he was living in a converted bus with his family, including wife Mali.<\/p>\n
Five officers had knocked at the door, before Freeman had yelled and refused to come out, saying the police “could go to hell,” Spence said.<\/p>\n
Freeman was eventually shown a copy of the search warrant, which he described as “bulls**t”. <\/p>\n
The court heard an officer climbed onto the bus roof but was unable to gain access, before Freeman said he was coming out.<\/p>\n
After failing to exit, Thompson lifted himself through a window to gain access to the bus, but as his feet touched the ground, he was shot.<\/p>\n
He suffered a gunshot wound to the face and neck, and collapsed immediately.<\/p>\n
A second officer, standing near Thompson, yelled “gun” and ran, activating a duress alarm, the court heard.<\/p>\n
Freeman then shot de Waart-Hottart as the other officers ran and sought cover behind a shipping container.<\/p>\n
“I had no choice,” Freeman said.<\/p>\n
The court heard Freeman returned to the bus after the shooting and swore over the bodies of both fallen officers.<\/p>\n
“F***ing scum, die in hell,” he yelled at police before firing de Waart-Hottart’s firearm at Thompson again.<\/p>\n
![\"Detective](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779706330_702_detective-leading-senior-constable-neal-thompson-left-and-se-27OWKPO5SFCU5CZ7ZBVZCM6BIY.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, left, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n
Freeman then stepped out of the bus with two guns and fired at a third officer, injuring them.<\/p>\n
“He was last sighted running down the hill towards the river,” Spence told the court. <\/p>\n
Freeman later sent a message to his wife.<\/p>\n
“Get a mile away and keep going. See you in heaven, love,” he texted.<\/p>\n
State Coroner Liberty Sanger held a directions hearing on the cases of the police officers earlier on Monday.<\/p>\n
Family and supporters of the slain police officers who were in court included Thompson’s sisters, Dianne Thompson and Lois Kirk. <\/p>\n
Loved ones of de Waart-Hottart watched the proceedings via video link from Belgium.<\/p>\n
Police association secretary Wayne Gatt and Detective Acting Inspector Nigel L’Estrange, from the homicide squad, also attended. <\/p>\n
Speculation has been rife over how Freeman came to be in Thologolong, about 150km from Porepunkah, where he fatally shot the officers.<\/p>\n
A coronial brief will be delivered by October 30.<\/p>\n
The inquest could be scheduled for March 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The final moments before double police killer Dezi Freeman died in a hail of bullets have been outlined…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":443927,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[85,67,42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-444261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-australia","tag-crime-and-justice","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=444261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/444261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/443927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=444261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=444261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=444261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}