Inquest into Luke Batty's death begins

An inquest has been told an eight-year-old boy watched in horror as domestic violence victim Luke Batty was beaten to death by his father during cricket training at Tyabb.

It was also revealed Greg Anderson threatened his eleven-year-old son with a knife months before the attack, prompting a court to ban contact between the pair.

The details emerged as a twelve-day inquest into Luke's death began in the Coroners Court.

The inquest will examine whether systemic failures by Victoria Police and the Department of Human Services, in relation to child protection and intervention order matters, contributed to Luke's murder.

Counsel assisting the Coroner, Rachel Ellyard, outlined the circumstances of the attack, which occurred while Luke was at cricket practice at Tyabb on February 12.

The court was told an intervention order was in place which banned Anderson from having contact with his son, but allowed him to attend cricket and football matches.

On the night Luke was killed, Anderson and his son were engaging in 'bat and ball' practice in the cricket nets.

When it was time to leave, Luke asked his mother, Rosie Batty, if he could have a few more minutes with his father and she agreed.

Ms Ellyard told the court Anderson distanced himself from the other parents and children, and, once he believed no one was looking, he swung at Luke with a cricket bat.

The court heard an eight-year-old boy, who was returning to the nets to retrieve his cricket bat, was the only eyewitness to the attack.

In a recorded video interview, the boy gave police a demonstration of how Anderson had struck Luke, in a downward motion, knocking him to the ground.

The witness's father rang 000 and, under instruction from the call taker, approached Anderson to check on Luke's condition. He found him on his knees stabbing the child.

The court heard Anderson menaced the father with the knife, and said of his son: 'He is in heaven now'.

When police arrived, Anderson lunged at an officer with the knife and was shot.

He told treating paramedics, repeatedly, 'Let me die'. He died later in hospital from gunshot and self-inflicted knife wounds.

The court heard Anderson had threatened Luke with a knife in April of last year, while the pair was sitting in his car.

He had been praying and held up a knife, saying, 'This could be the one to end it all'.

Luke believed his father was going to kill him, and told his mother, who arranged for a 'no contact' intervention order to be imposed.

The court heard Anderson had a history of threatening and physically harming Rosie Batty, sometimes in front of Luke, but that was the first time Luke's safety had been in question.

Rosie Batty told the court she had struggled to balance Luke's desire to see his father with her own concerns for his safety.

"There was never any doubt in my mind that Luke should know his father. Greg was really loving and keen to be involved in Luke's life."

But, she said, after Luke was threatened, her view changed.

"I was so alarmed I knew I could no longer support his relationship with Luke," she told the court.

The inquest heard Anderson had a long history of overbearing and violent conduct, as well as paranoia and religious fixations.

At the time of his death, he was facing eleven criminal charges, seven of which related to family violence against Rosie Batty or breaches of intervention orders.

He had four unexecuted warrants for his arrest, for failing to answer bail and summonses.

The inquest will examine whether more timely execution of the warrants would have limited Anderson's ability to be present at his son's cricket training.

Other issues to be canvassed include:

• What Victoria Police and DHS knew, or should have known, about the risks to Luke.

• What police and DHS did, or should have done, to protect him.

• What systems, protocols, procedures and policies were in place regarding warrants, intervention orders and family violence matters.

• What reviews have been performed following Luke's death, and what changes have already been implemented.

The court was told the role of the inquest was not to criticise, but to determine whether there were signs of danger to Luke that should have been acted upon.

The inquest continues.