Coroner probes death of 13-year-old who slept in Port Lincoln skip bin

A coronial inquest in Port Lincoln is investigating the May 2021 death of a 13-year-old First Nations boy, known as Budda Spencer, who died after a garbage truck lifted the industrial skip he was sleeping in. Special counsel Rebecca Schell told the court that the boy and two younger companions had chosen to sleep in the bin that night, a decision they had not made before. While the younger boys escaped after one warned the driver, Budna Spencer was injured trying to climb out and later died.

The hearing will focus on whether his family received proper assistance from the Department for Child Protection and other agencies, after the boy was missing for five days and had previously been seen at a youth event and a football oval. Evidence showed his mother, Deborah Betts, had repeatedly reported concerns, and the boy had confided that his home situation was poor. The coroner will hear from SA Police, West Coast Youth and Community Services, Youth Justice and the Department for Child Protection before the case moves to Adelaide.