- Liam Trimmer, 29, and his fiancée threw a small engagement party on Sunday
- The police officer is said to have tripped and cut his neck open as he fell
A young police constable who moved from the UK to start a new life in Western Australia (WA) as a teenager has died in tragic circumstances during his engagement party.
Liam Trimmer, 29, and his fiancée had organised a small party on Sunday to announce their engagement to friends and family.
But in a freak accident during the celebrations, Mr Trimmer slipped and fell, cutting the carotid artery in his neck and causing massive bleeding.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said others at the party leapt into action, but they were not able to stem the blood flow and he died before emergency services could arrive.
‘Everything was done to try and save him, but it wasn’t to be and I know everyone that was involved is really, really hurting at the moment.
‘I think they wish they could just wake up from this nightmare,’ Mr Blanch told 9 News Perth.
Mr Trimmer, who moved to WA from the UK when he was still a teenager in 2013, graduated from Australia’s Joondalup Police Academy before moving to the city of Kalgoorlie, some 370 miles east of Perth, in 2017.
There he established himself as a prominent member of the local community, playing for the local rugby team and joining the police force’s tactical response group, where he developed a record as an exemplary policeman.
He also featured in the UK TV series Wanted Down Under, giving a teenager advice on life in Australia before they migrated.
The WA police force is mourning the loss of 29-year-old officer Liam Trimmer (pictured), who has been remembered as an ‘extraordinary officer’
Mr Trimmer and his fiancée (picture) had gathered with friends and family to announce their engagement
His colleagues described Mr Trimmer as an ‘extraordinary officer’ and lamented the ‘tragic’ circumstances that led to his untimely death.
‘This extraordinary officer loved helping the community and was a fine example of WA policing and it’s just such a tragedy,’ Mr Blanch said.
‘(He was) a very, very confident, capable young man with his whole life ahead of him, and that’s how sad this is.’
The WA Police Union said Mr Trimmer was a ‘valued member of the blue family’.
‘Every time a death occurs for a police officer, it doesn’t matter how, it really does rock the core of the police family,’ Union President Paul Gale told local media.
WA’s Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti also gave remarks on the incident, describing Mr Trimmer’s death as an ‘awful, awful tragedy’.
‘As I understand it, this police officer came over from the UK to start a new life in WA,’ she said.
‘My condolences go out to the family and friends of that particular officer.’
A coroner is now performing a post-mortem examination of Mr Trimmer’s body and a statement regarding his death is expected in the coming days.
A police spokesperson told The West Australian: ‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are extended to his family and colleagues.
‘Our health, welfare and safety division will provide support to those impacted by this tragedy.’
MailOnline has contacted the FCDO for comment.
