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Breeana Robinson was 21 years old when she moved in with her much older boyfriend, Dan Shearin, who was 40 at the time.
She made the move, into a Gold Coast high-rise building at Broadwater, despite the concerns of her family. They were troubled by the relationship. Speaking with Sunday Night, Robinson’s mother referred to Shearin, as “not safe” for her daughter.
The pair had a history of vicious arguments. Shearin had sent the young woman over 1400 abusive text messages, riddled with horrific insults and slurs, in the months leading up to her death. But Robinson assured her mum, Elaine, her boyfriend was “not like that anymore.”
Robinson was a former Gold Coast Titans cheerleader. She was legally blind due to a congenital eye condition. She dreamed of becoming a dancer and entertaining on cruise ships. Shearin, himself a cruise ship entertainer, had promised that he could help her career.
On the night she died, she’d told a friend she was excited about the future. She was looking forward to an upcoming trip to Bali.
Hours later, on January 2013, Robinson was dead, having fallen from the 11th floor balcony of the apartment she shared with Shearin.
Shearin said that his young girlfriend had taken her own life, while he was laying down in the bedroom. He claimed he didn't touch her, and police found none of his DNA on her body.
He also claimed she'd discussed taking her own life two weeks prior. "She said, "I'm disappointing you, I'm disappointing my mother. I may as well throw myself off the balcony." And that floored me," he told Sunday Night.
Contrary to Shearin's account of that night, neighbours say that around 9.30pm, they heard arguing and a chair being dragged across the floor. They say they heard a woman scream, "No".
Shearin's behaviour in the minutes and hours after Robinson's death was suspicious.
Listen to Jelena Dokic tell Mia Freedman about what life was like with her father...
As Robinson lay dying on the ground, neighbours say Shearin claimed he was thirsty, and went upstairs to get a bottle of water. In the days after her death, he withdrew money from Robinson's account. A building attendant says he held a party at their flat.
Seven days after Robinson died, he flew to Bali, on the trip they were meant to take together. It was an act of self-preservation, Shearin told Sunday Night.
"I just got to get away, shut my phone off for however many days kind of time. And on the exact time that her ceremony, or her funeral, was going on here on the coast, you know, (I put) some rose petals out on to the water," he said.
Multiple women spoke to Sunday Night, claiming Shearin was abusive towards them, and has an explosive tempter. In February, he was given 12 months of probation for cyber stalking a woman he met on a dating website.
Shearin was not charged in the death of his girlfriend.
The coroner has announced that the investigation will be reopened, looking at, "specific circumstances surrounding Breeana's death, particularly how she came to fall to her death and whether any recommendations can be made to prevent deaths from occurring in similar circumstances."
Robinson's mother just wants to know what really happened that night. "He's a very dangerous man. Absolutely," she told Sunday Night. "Someone's still looking into (the case). Yeah, welcome news. You know, trying to find the truth. And that's what we want. We want the truth."
Top Comments
'Mr Shearin had sent the young woman over 1400 abusive text messages, riddled with horrific insults and slurs, in the months leading up to her death.'
And then we're going to believe what this maniac has to say about the highly suspicious events of Breeana Robinson's death despite his version being contradicted by other non-partisan witnesses?
Is the Sunday Night program a 'major investigation' though? This is one side of the story. I'd like to see the full forensic and police investigation before I passed judgement. I'd say they have more evidence than a ratings based TV program...
I didn't watch the Sunday program. I read the article and use my brain.
Usually, when no action is taken on the part of the very people who are supposed to protect us is when the media steps in to run through the available evidence.
When you say it's one sided, whose? Breeana doesn't get to have a side, she's dead. We need justice for her and we shouldn't have to fight for it.
1. OVER 1,400 abusive texts in months (sent by Shearin - a man who claimed to love her)
2. On the night she (Breeana) died, she’d told a friend she was excited about the future. She was looking forward to an upcoming trip to Bali.
3. HE (Shearin) also claimed she'd discussed taking her own life two weeks prior. "She said, "I'm disappointing you, I'm disappointing my mother. I may as well throw myself off the balcony." And that floored me," he told Sunday Night.
[anyone who believes this, in my opinion, isn't fit to hold any position where judgment and discernment are required]
BUT HERE'S THE BIGGIE:
4. Contrary to Shearin's account of that night, neighbours say that around 9.30pm, they heard arguing and a chair being dragged across the floor. They say they heard a woman scream, "No".
Like I have said previously, you don't get to decide whether or not someone is charged, the police do. But when they refuse to do their job THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
That is why the role of the media is so important and, also, why they have squandered that position and citizen journalism is on the rise.
I would also like to see the full forensic and police investigation but that is never going to happen, especially when it will expose their biases and incompetence. Because nothing will counter the above four facts.
Interesting that in the case of Tostee where despite him having indisputable evidence to verify his version of events he was still charged and forced to go through a trial and yet this Shearin is free to rome around and continue to be a menace (given 12 months of probation for cyber stalking) without a worry in the world.
Breeana's death occurred FIVE YEARS AGO.
Justice delayed is justice denied.