Inquest to begin into Russell Island house fire that killed father and five boys

An inquest is set to probe whether domestic violence had anything to do with a house fire that killed a man and his five sons in south-east Queensland, after triple-zero callers claimed the boys' parents fought often and that they believed "one day they would kill these kids".

In August 2023, 34-year-old Wayne Godinet Jr, 11-year-old Zackary, 10-year-old Harrison, four-year-old twins Kyza and Koah and three-year-old Nickolas died of smoke inhalation inside their Russell Island home after it caught alight in the early morning.

The children's mother Samantha Stephenson and her sister managed to escape the blaze unharmed.

All six deaths will be the subject of a coronial inquiry which has been set down for November in Brisbane.

On Tuesday, counsel assisting the coroner Corinne Leach told a preliminary hearing Ms Stephenson lived at the home with the boys and her sister at the time, and Mr Godinet Jr would stay with them occasionally.

"As he worked on the mainland during the week and he and Samantha's relationship was on and off," she said.

The court heard Ms Stephenson had told investigators her and Mr Godinet Jr had both been underneath the house in a makeshift entertainment area the night before the fire broke out.

Ms Stephenson told investigators she recalled the pair smoked cigarettes and fell asleep cuddling on the couch, before she woke up some hours later and saw black smoke everywhere.

She recalled watching Mr Godinet Jr run up an internal staircase, which was partially on fire, and then seeing flames near a generator and a work bench downstairs where she was.

Ms Stephenson said she then ran outside and saw the external stairs were also on fire, and then heard her sister and Mr Godinet Jr screaming from inside the upper level.

She then told investigators she was with her sister on the verandah and she told her to jump, which she did, and she expected Mr Godinet Jr and the children to follow, but they did not emerge.

Triple Zero callers make DV claims

The court heard 20 calls were made to the Queensland Fire Department (QFD), with some people reporting they had heard frequent fighting and screaming coming from the home in the past.

One person reported hearing arguing from about 5am that morning before the fire started, while another claimed "there was domestic violence in there all the time".

Another caller told operators, "we knew that one day they would kill these kids, but nobody has done anything" and "the house is f***ing horrid I've called the police a number of times."

Ms Leach told the court these people would be called to give evidence.

"Whether the domestic and family violence reported contributed to the fire that caused the deaths is an issue that will be explored at inquest," she said.

The court heard a fire investigation report was completed by QFD which found it was probable the blaze had developed in the ground floor area.

However, the court heard the exact point of origin was unable to be determined and human initiated ignition could not be categorically ruled out.

Whether the source of the fire was an electrical issue was also unable to be eliminated due to the extensive damage to the property. This will be another issue for the coroner.

The court heard the house, which was a raised Queenslander, had been relocated to Russell Island in 2012, and was renovated the following year.

Underneath the home was not built in, and the court heard it had been converted by Ms Stephenson and Mr Godinet Jr recently as a place to watch television.

The court heard the pair used blankets to cordon it off, and to power the area they used a five-point power board, which was plugged into an extension cord leading from a room upstairs.

Ms Leach told the court the power points in the house were described as "bad, hanging out, and with exposed wires".

"The power point from which the extension lead was plugged was known to short out and did not sit properly in the wall," she said.

The lack of compliant smoke alarms installed in the home will also form part of the inquest.

In the months after the blaze, the homeowner pleaded guilty to breaching the Fire Services Act and was fined but no conviction was recorded.

The emergency response will also be considered at the inquest, including whether Russell Island has sufficient resources to deal with house fires.

Sixteen witnesses including fire experts, police, and Ms Stephenson are expected to be called to testify at a 10-day hearing.