Overview
- He told the hearing he accepted a June 2023 delivery addressed under a false name, believed it contained a knife, hid it from his son and now regrets not contacting police.
- He said the delivery driver indicated the package was a knife and described the parcel as heavy and knife-shaped, but he avoided asking his son about it for fear of escalation.
- He could not say who accepted a second machete in October 2023 and said the parcel carried age-restriction labels, noting he would have left it behind the front door if he had known it was a machete.
- He acknowledged knowing his son ordered seeds later linked to ricin production but said he assumed an interest in gardening and had not seen any gardening activity.
- He described being "conditioned" by prior violent outbursts from his son and allowing assaults without reporting them, and he gave evidence via videolink as the inquiry continues with further family testimony expected.