As it happened: Azaria Chamberlain inquest

Updated

A fourth coronial inquest into the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain has ruled that a dingo was responsible for her death in 1980.

Coroner Elizabeth Morris brought the 32-year saga to a close with a heartfelt apology to Azaria's parents for the loss of their "special and loved daughter and sister". Our live blog has the details of this important day in Australian legal history:

1:10pm: We'll sign off with a final wrap-up of this morning's ruling from Tony Eastley in Darwin.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Tony Eastley reports live for the Midday Report (The Midday Report)

1:03pm: A blast from the past as we wind up today's live coverage: The Wikimedia site has some interesting ABC coverage of Lindy Chamberlain's release from jail in 1986 (via @stepharrington).

12:42pm: Now you can have a look back at the dramatic case through the eyes of a close onlooker: court artist Veronica O'Leary. Ms O'Leary has spoken to ABC Open about her point of view during Australia's most notorious murder trial.

12:39pm: The ABC now has video online of Azaria's parents addressing the media outside court:

12:12pm: Just one day after what would have been her 32nd birthday, the battle for the truth about Azaria Chamberlain's death comes to a close.

Her new death certificate has been issued and is in the hands of her parents:

12pm: Tony Eastley is providing a summary of today's events live on the Midday Report.

11:56am: We now have video of the coroner Elizabeth Morris handing down her findings:

11:50am: Here are Azaria's parents speaking to the media earlier:

11:48am: The new death certificate for Azaria Chamberlain, putting to rest this 32-year saga, is being presented to the media by her parents outside the Darwin Magistrates Court.

11:40am: The ABC's Tony Eastley, speaking to ABC News 24, says the lesson from the Chamberlain case is - as Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton said after the hearing - Australians must recognise that dingos can be dangerous, even deadly, to humans.

11:35am: Azaria's parents are now picking up the new death certificate.

11:29am: Mr Chamberlain thanks the coroner, the family's supporters and the media for the recent reporting of the case.

This has been a terrifying battle. Bitter at times. But now some healing and a chance to put our daughter's spirit to rest.

11:27am: Michael Chamberlain is now speaking to the media and the crowd outside the court:

Today, I heard Coroner Morris speak for the dead on behalf of the living. This battle to get to the legal truth about what caused Azaria's death has taken too long. However, I am here to tell you that you can get justice, even when you think that all is lost. But, truth must be on your side. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how sacred human life is and must be protected at all costs. And I cannot express strongly enough how important it is to pursue a just cause even when it seems to be a mission impossible. If you know you are right, never give up on getting it right, when the serious issue could affect the life and livelihood of others.

"The truth is out," Mr Chamberlain added, saying that the family welcomed "a chance to put our daughter's spirit to rest."

11:25am: Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton says the family are relieved and delighted to come to the end of this saga.

No longer will Australia be able to say that dingos are not dangerous and only attack if provoked. We live in a beautiful country but it is dangerous and we would ask all Australians to be aware of this and take appropriate precautions and not wait for somebody else to do it for them.

11:23am: Azaria's parents Michael and Lindy and Azaria's brother Aidan are leaving the courthouse now. They are addressing the media - watch live.

11:16am: Here are the coroner's words on the events of August 17 1980:

In considering now all of the evidence, I am satisfied that the evidence is sufficiently adequate, clear, cogent and exact - and that the evidence excludes all other reasonable possibilities - to find that what occurred on the 17th of August 1980 was that shortly after Mrs Chamberlain placed Azaria in the tent - a dingo or dingoes entered the tent, took Azaria, and carried and dragged her from the immediate area. Mrs Chamberlain, upon being alerted to Azaria's cry, returned to the tent area to see a dingo near the tent. Raising a cry which alerted others, Mrs Chamberlain then ran for a short distance after the dingo, back to the tent, confirming that Azaria was missing. Azaria was not seen again.

11:14am: ABC News 24's Joe O'Brien is speaking to Evil Angels author John Bryson about the background to this traumatic story, and the lessons that have been learned.

11:06am: The findings of the fourth inquest are available online:

11:03am: The ABC's Tony Eastley, who first covered the case more than 30 years ago, has tweeted following the handing down of the findings: "Tears, hugs in court. What a difference 30 years makes."

10:59am: The coroner's words to Azaria's parents at the end of the hearing marked an emotional moment:

Please accept my sincere sympathy on the death of your special and loved daughter and sister Azaria. I'm so sorry for your loss. Time does not remove the pain and sadness of the death of a child. Coroner Elizabeth Morris

10:57am: Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton and her husband Rick are the last to leave the courtroom.

10:54am: Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton and Michael Chamberlain embrace as the court rises.

10:52am: An amended death certificate will be available for Azaria's parents immediately. The court is adjourned, thus closing an extraordinary decades-long chapter in Australian legal history.

10:50am: The coroner's voice wavers as she expresses her condolences for the death of the family's "special and loved daughter and sister".

10:49am: Coroner Elizabeth Morris says the cause of Azaria's death was as a result of being taken and attacked by a dingo.

10:46am: The coroner is continuing to hand down her findings on the likely cause of death. She says "misadventure" or "accidental death" do not fully cover death by animal attack.

10:45am: The coroner finds that a dingo or dingoes took Azaria from her tent at Uluru.

10:42am: The coroner acknowledges evidence tended to the current inquest of dingo attacks on people in places such as Fraser Island.

10:40am: The coroner notes that there were dingo attacks on children in the area in the months preceding Azaria's disappearance and that there was a dingo den in the area at the time.

10:37am: Coroner Elizabeth Morris says many aspects of the evidence have been misreported or misrepresented.

10:36am: This is the scene inside the courtroom:

10:32am: The coroner is outlining the circumstances of the 1980 disappearance as have been established, including the growl of a dog before the baby was declared to have been taken. She describes the mother's initial reaction to the disappearance: 'My god, my god, that dog's got my baby'.

10:31am: Coroner Elizabeth Morris has begun handing down her findings.

10:21am: Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton has arrived in the courtroom and taken a seat in the front row in between Michael Chamberlain and her husband Rick Creighton.

10:10am: Reporter Melanie Arnost (@arnostm) is also at the Darwin Magistrates Court and has been tweeting pics this morning, including this one of Michael Chamberlain arriving.

10:06am AEDT: This morning, ABC News Breakfast spoke to two experts on the case: Sydney Morning Herald journalist Malcolm Brown (who expects the coroner to find a dingo responsible for the death), and author of Evil Angels John Bryson.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Evil Angels author John Bryson on the Chamberlain case (ABC News)

10:05am AEDT: Tony Eastley is speaking live to ABC News 24, awaiting the arrival of Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton. Her ex-husband Michael Chamberlain has just arrived at the courthouse.

9:48am AEDT: Northern Territory coroner Elizabeth Morris has allowed the media to broadcast from the packed courtroom as she hands down her findings from 10:30am AEDT. As well as live coverage on this page and on ABC News 24, you can follow developments on radio.

9:40am AEDT: ABC reporter and presenter Tony Eastley has been covering the Azaria Chamberlain case for three decades, and is in Darwin today for the handing down of the findings. You can follow his tweets on his account @tonyeastley. He was at Darwin Airport yesterday when Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton arrived. She told the media pack that Azaria would have turned 32 yesterday.

8:50am AEST: Azaria Chamberlain was nine weeks old when she disappeared from an Uluru campsite in August 1980. The case gripped the country for years after, and today the family has another chance of official recognition that a dingo was responsible for her death. Here, the ABC's Tony Eastley looks back at the case as the family waits for the coroner's findings to be handed down:

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Coroner to hand down Chamberlain findings (ABC News)

Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, animal-attacks, darwin-0800, alice-springs-0870, nt, australia

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