Bombshell claims have emerged that it took NSW Ambulance more than 40 minutes to reach the prison where the man who allegedly murdered 19-year-old Audrey Griffin died in his cell.
Alleged murderer Adrian Torrens, 53, was found unconscious in his Silverwater Jail cell in Sydney‘s west around 4.50pm on Thursday.
A source confirmed Torrens died after attempting to take his own life, but claims it took 40 minutes for paramedics to arrive on the scene.
The monumental delay by authorities to keep Torrens alive has dealt a blow to Ms Griffin’s family who have been denied their day in court.
Daily Mail Australia understands Audrey’s mother, Kathleen Kirby, is distraught by the news and heartbroken that the accused will never face trial or be held accountable.
NSW Corrective Services officers tried to revive him at 4.50pm, and when ambulance paramedics arrived ‘about 40 minutes later,’ they continued these efforts.
However, he was ultimately pronounced dead at about 5.40pm after paramedics arrived.
A prison source has questioned whether Torrens may have survived his suicide attempt if the ambulance had arrived sooner – raising questions about a missed opportunity for justice and closure for Audrey’s grieving family.
Adrian Torrens (pictured) died in custody three days after his arrest for allegedly murdering 19-year-old Audrey Griffin
Audrey Griffin was murdered in March 2025
Corrective Services NSW has established protocols in place for any prison incident involving attempted suicide.
All officers are trained in CPR, the use of defibrillators, and are equipped with a ‘911 tool’ – used to cut down inmates in hanging attempts.
Paramedics are routinely called to provide advanced medical support beyond what prison staff can offer.
In a statement, NSW Ambulance declined to rule it out took paramedics 40 minutes to arrive at the prison.
Instead, a high-level public servant authorised a generic response to multiple questions put to NSW Ambulance by Daily Mail Australia.
These questions included queries as to why it took paramedics 40 minutes to arrive at the prison, was Torrens alive when paramedics arrived, and was any treatment given to Torrens.
A spokesperson said NSW Ambulance received a Triple-0 call ‘around 5pm on Thursday’ April 24 ‘for an incident at Silverwater Jail’.
‘The response was triaged at the highest level with lights and sirens and paramedics were on scene promptly,’ the spokesperson said.
‘As the matter is for the Coroner, it is not appropriate for NSW Ambulance to provide further comment at this time.’
Pictured: A stock image of cells at Silverwater jail
Kathleen Kirby (left) with her daughter Audrey
The latest bombshell came after it was revealed Torrens was spared jail for offending just months before Ms Griffin was killed.
NSW Chief Magistrate Judge Michael Allen spared Torrens jail time when he pleaded guilty to domestic violence offending – instead imposing an 18-month community correction order.
Judge Allen sentenced Torrens at Downing Centre Local Court on January 16 after he pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend and contravening a domestic AVO in relation to his ex-partner.
Torrens also had multiple listings before both Gosford Local Court and the Downing Centre for AVOs taken out to protect a woman believed to be his estranged wife.
At the time of his death, Torrens was facing eleven charges other than murder.
These included two counts of knowingly contravene an AVO for the third time in 28 days, knowingly contravene an AVO prohibition and eight charges of contravening an AVO.
Torrens also had AVOs taken out against him by two different women, in 2018 and in 2014.
Torrens was supposed to be serving Judge Allen’s imposed court order when he allegedly murdered Ms Griffin on Sydney’s Central Coast in March.
Ms Kirby said her daughter was a fit, intelligent and beautiful young woman who ‘had the world at her feet’
Audrey visited Japan earlier this year
Ms Griffin had spend a night celebrating with friends at the Gosford Hotel on the night of March 22.
She left the pub at 2am and walked towards her father’s house in Terrigal after unsuccessfully trying to get an Uber.
Friends followed her movements via Snapchat’s SnapMaps feature, a live tracker of a user’s whereabouts, which can be seen by selected contacts. She also sent them two videos while walking home.
Instead of arriving home, Ms Griffin crossed paths with Torrens.
Police quietly investigated the alleged link between the pair in the weeks following Ms Griffin’s death.
They found Torrens’ DNA under Ms Griffin’s fingernails and discovered a mobile ping in the Erina Creek area on the same night from Torrens’ phone.
Torrens was arrested in Sydney on Monday – a month after Ms Griffin’s body was found in Erina Creek on the NSW Central Coast.
Her death was not initially deemed suspicious because a preliminary autopsy indicated she had drowned.
It’s understood Torrens admitted killing the 19-year-old to an associate not long after in a phone call obtained by police.
Ms Griffin’s mother Kathleen Kirby said her daughter was a fit, intelligent and beautiful young woman who ‘had the world at her feet’
More than 1,000 people gathered at Terrigal Beach on Thursday evening to remember the popular 19-year-old
‘Why did I do it? I don’t know, I do not, I just f***ing clicked and I have no reason for my actions, I just did it man,’ Torrens said in the call, according to the Daily Telegraph.
‘I was so f***ed up, you know I was awake for four or five f***ing days, and I just did it.’
‘In another call, Torrens said: ‘I killed someone about a month ago and now they’re looking for me’.
Another witness told police they recognised Torrens in the CCTV, and that he had told them ‘he left her body in the mangroves’.
Detectives were set to allege Torrens assaulted Ms Griffin – with blows to the face – and knocked her unconscious in the shallow creek; or that he held her underwater to kill her.
Ms Griffin’s mother Kathleen Kirby told Daily Mail Australia last week that she ‘just wanted justice’ for her young daughter.
She said her daughter was a fit, intelligent and beautiful young woman who ‘had the world at her feet’.
Ms Kirby said the pair exchanged messages while she was in Gosford, and she told daughter she was proud of her and loved her very much.
News of Torrens’ death came just hours after hundreds of mourners gathered to celebrate Ms Griffin’s life at Terrigal Beach near her home.
A fortnight before her death, the popular and sporty teenager had travelled to New Zealand to compete in the gruelling ANZCO half-ironman event, which she completed in just over six-and-a-half hours.
She was also preparing to begin a 10-week officer training course in April with the Royal Australian Navy after visiting Japan earlier this year.
Ms Griffin was visiting the Central Coast – where she grew up – to see her grandparents and invite her friends to a farewell party in Sydney the next weekend.
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