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Daylesford Crash Driver Ordered to Testify at Inquest After Bid to Stay Silent Fails

The ruling seeks a first-hand account to guide prevention recommendations for diabetic drivers.

Overview

  • Coroner Dimitra Dubrow directed William Swale to give evidence at the March 2026 coronial inquest, rejecting his application to be excused.
  • She granted a Section 57 certificate that bars direct use of his compelled testimony in any future prosecution, while acknowledging a low risk of derivative use.
  • Dubrow said a full account of Swale’s actions, symptoms, and the behavior of his continuous glucose monitor and alarms remains absent and is critical to the inquiry.
  • The inquest will examine guidance for diabetic driving and outdoor-dining safety and is expected to hear from an endocrinologist, a road-safety expert, and more than 60 witnesses.
  • The November 2023 crash killed five people and injured others, charges were dismissed in 2024 after a magistrate found his driving was involuntary due to severe hypoglycaemia, and the DPP declined to directly indict.