An inquest into the death of a 71-year-old man, who was found in a Sydney shopping centre stairwell 21 days after he went missing, has found several missed opportunities.
Bernard Gore likely died inside the fire stairwell within Westfield Bondi Junction between January 6 and 9 in 2017, Deputy State Coroner Derek Lee concluded.
The reasons for which Mr Gore did not, or was unable to, exit the stairwell are not well understood, he said.
An autopsy later found no evidence of traumatic injury or direct third party involvement, raising the possibility that he died from natural causes.
Bernard Gore, 71, (pictured) likely died inside the fire stairwell within Westfield Bondi Junction between January 6 and 9 in 2017
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Bernard Gore, 71, found to have died of misadventure at Westfield Bondi Junction between 6 and 9 January 2017
Tasmanian man Bernard Gore, who was found dead in a stairwell at Westfield Bondi Junction 20 days after he went missing in 2017. An inquest has found there there were shortcomings in the search. Photograph: NSW police/AAP
Tasmanian man Bernard Gore, who was found dead in a stairwell at Westfield Bondi Junction 20 days after he went missing in 2017. An inquest has found there there were shortcomings in the search. Photograph: NSW police/AAP
AustralianAssociatedPress
Fri 18 Dec 2020 05.17 EST
Bernard Gore: Westfield Bondi Junction stairwell death misadventure geelongadvertiser.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from geelongadvertiser.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Death by misadventure : Inquest rules on man found dead in mall stairwell after missing for 3 weeks
18 Dec, 2020 05:13 AM
6 minutes to read
The Westfield mall stairwell where Bernard Gore s body was found. Photo / Supplied
news.com.au
By: Sarah McPhee
Australian retiree Bernard Gore walked into Westfield Bondi Junction on January 6, 2017 and was never seen alive again.
The 71-year-old Tasmanian retiree left his daughter s apartment in Woollahra, in Sydney s eastern suburbs, about 12.30pm and had planned to meet his wife outside Woolworths.
His journey to the centre, in a white hat and red and black flannelette jacket, and the fateful moment he opened door L407 to a fire stairwell at 12.50pm, was all captured on CCTV.