Man Fights for Money After Police Damage His Home

Troy Coward owns an apartment in Perth, Australia. In 2012, someone was murdered in his building while he was away. A man named Aaron Carlino killed a drug dealer in Coward's apartment. Carlino cleaned up the blood and mess before leaving.

When police found out about the murder, they came to investigate. They used special chemicals to look for blood and other evidence. The main chemical was called luminol, which glows when it touches blood. Police worked in the apartment for three months.

The police investigation left the apartment badly damaged. They ripped out window blinds and broke mirrors and doors. Black chemicals and ink covered the walls and carpet from floor to ceiling. When they finished, police gave Coward his keys back without warning him about the chemicals.

Coward moved back into his apartment with a friend. Soon both men got very sick with rashes and breathing problems. They coughed up blood and had eye pain. A cleaning expert told Coward the chemicals made the apartment unsafe to live in.

Because of all the damage, Coward couldn't pay his house loan. The bank took his apartment and sold it for much less money than before. Coward lost his business and other properties too. He has been fighting for 13 years to get money from the government to pay for his losses.