Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised the name and an image of a deceased person is included in this article.
The remains of a 40-year-old Indigenous woman will be cremated after a family dispute left her body in legal limbo in a mortuary for nearly four years.
The body of Central Coast woman Debbie-Lee Gill has been held at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle since she passed in January 2021 as a result of the lengthy disagreement which came to a close in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.
The NSW coroner found suicide to be the cause of death at the time.
A longstanding dispute over the treatment of Ms Gills remains followed her death, fought between her biological family and Leslie Speeding.
Mr Speeding claimed to have been Ms Gills de facto spouse and senior next of kin, news.com.au reported.
Mr Speeding wanted to have the Wiradjuri woman buried, her family, however, wanted her cremated.
In typical circumstances, a NSW hospital will hold a body up to a maximum of 21 days, but makes provisions for exceptional circumstances.
Debbie-Lee Gills remains will be cremated after being kept in a mortuary since her death
The NSW Supreme Court ruled on the dispute last week, and ordered for Ms Gills body to be cremated.
Justice Geoff Lindsay said the argument had gone on for too long, handing down his decision.
[Its] leaving the deceaseds body in cold storage, personal animosity on the boil and the public purse diminished by the costs of it all, he said.
He ruled in favour of the biological family as he found Mr Speeding didnt have enough money to bury Ms Gill.
He said the familys decision to move the dispute to the court at their own costs showed they would move quickly in having Ms Gills body cremated, as the logistics of the matter favoured them.
Im not confident that (Mr Speeding) can reasonably be expected to have the resources, or will, to arrange for a burial, let alone a funeral, Justice Lindsay said.
He also ruled the family act quickly and have Ms Gill cremated within two months.
Ms Gills sister Cathy-May said the years following the death had been a troubling ordeal.
Ms Gills body was kept in cold storage since her passing in 2021, as a family dispute raged
It takes a huge toll. My parents have aged like 100 years in the last bloody three years, she told the ABC.
I think weve just all been in autopilot going each day, a bit of the time.
She had her own daughter cremated, so it wasnt like she was against cremation, and then we were all aware that that was what her wishes were, was to be put with Angel.
Ms Gills fourth child Angel was still-born in 1999.
Ms Gill is survived by her son and two daughters.
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