Perth man wants compensation for forensic examination damage

An actor who has appeared in dozens of films, Troy Coward has read some fairly unbelievable scripts, but he says his real-life drama is beyond what even Hollywood could dream up.

In December 2012, Mr Coward's East Perth investment property was the scene of a brutal murder, when Aaron Carlino shot drug dealer Stephen Cookson twice in the head, then used an angle grinder to cut his body into six pieces.

The murder was not discovered until Mr Cookson's severed head, which had been dumped in the ocean, washed up on a Rottnest Island beach in January 2013.

In the meantime, Carlino had cleaned up the apartment, so when Mr Coward regained access to his investment property in late 2012, he had no idea that it had been the scene of a violent crime.

"You couldn't write a crazier story from the beginning to the end," Mr Coward said.

"I took over the premises, spent a couple of weeks renovating it … little did I know I had cleaned up the murder site."

After the victim was identified, the police came knocking.

By that time, Mr Coward had moved back into the apartment, living there with a housemate.

Apartment becomes crime scene

A three-month forensic investigation followed, which Mr Coward said left the unit covered in luminol, a chemical agent which highlights bloodstains, and substantially damaged.

"They ripped out all the blinds. There were holes in the doors. The mirrors were broken. The carpet was completely soiled in black carcinogenic chemicals and black ink," Mr Coward said.

"The walls were covered in ink … from head to toe, the place was covered.

"Everything had to be replaced. They destroyed the place, did their forensic investigation, gave me the keys back, and there was no disclosure of how toxic the chemicals were."

After the police investigation was over and Mr Coward moved back to the apartment, he and his housemate began to experience health problems.

He said that within a couple of months, they suffered rashes, skin, lung and eye irritations and were coughing up blood.

Mr Coward believed those symptoms were directly related to the forensic investigation and the chemicals used.

He said a forensic cleaner he employed told him the apartment was not safe to live in.

"I spoke to him, and he said, 'Troy, you're mad living in the place. There was never a sign off on the property saying it was fit for habitation,'" he said.

Compensation claim

After Mr Coward fell behind on his mortgage payments, his bank foreclosed on the apartment and ultimately sold it for just $200,000. The property had been valued at $549,000 before the murder.

Mr Coward was left with a substantial debt, which ultimately cost him his renovation business and other properties.

More than 13 years on, Mr Coward is fighting for compensation from WA Police for the losses he incurred, including his health problems.

"Police are there to protect and serve; they're not there to destroy someone's home and then just hand you the keys back," Mr Coward said.

"All I've begged and asked for 13-and-a-half years is the government to step up and do the right thing.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that any man should have to go through what I've gone through."

A spokesperson for WA Premier Roger Cook said: "As legal proceedings are ongoing, the state government cannot comment on the matter."

WA Police said: "For legal reasons, WA Police are not able to comment at this time."

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