Edwards told police his wife would make false DV allegations

---

John Edwards marched into Hornsby police station one day and reported his wife Olga was going to make false allegations against him in a bid to secure their Normanhurst home. It was late one afternoon in March of 2016, the same month Olga launched proceedings in the Family Court after years of violent abuse. In under a week, the matter was closed.

An inquest into the deaths of Edwards and his two children Jack and Jennifer, whom he killed on July 5, 2018 before taking his own life has heard testimony from the police officer who recorded his report in the COPS database.

Senior Constable Jenny Barnes told the inquest on Wednesday she recalled seeing Edwards, a very tall person compared to what I am approach the counter at the police station and that he told her he wanted to report a domestic incident that was more to do with property. He told that he wanted it recorded that his wife Olga was going to make false accusations against him so she could gain their home, which he said he purchased in 2000 for $450,000 and signed over to his wife in 2013.

"The way he was speaking to me, it was very persistent in what he wanted done. He was, I wouldn't say aggressive, but very demanding," she told the court.

Senior Constable Barnes said she told Edwards she would take some details down but "because he was talking about property I said to him … I remember saying it wasn’t something police wouldn't normally be involved in."

He didn't mention any further detail about the allegations that his wife was going to make, she told the court.

Her supervisor spoke to Edwards, and then told her "well if he wants it recorded, just do what he wants," she said.

Senior Constable Barnes made an entry in the database the following day, under a category that indicates there is no offence connected.

The incident entry was marked "no further investigation" on March 10, less than a week after Mr Edwards made his report.