Man who died after 63 police alcohol pick-ups proves NT program 'completely dysfunctional'

The death of a man picked up by police 63 times in one year for public drunkenness shows the NT's alcohol rehab scheme is completely ineffectual.

File image Source: AAP

A Northern Territory man who was taken into protective custody for public drunkenness 63 times in one year was never sent to mandatory alcohol rehabilitation, proving the government's program is "at best completely dysfunctional", an inquest has heard.

Christopher Murrungun was a chronic alcoholic at the time of his death aged 53 on February 12 last year.

An inquest this week heard that the NT government's forced rehab scheme to deal with problem drinkers, which came into force in July 2013, requires that a person be assessed for the program if they're taken into protective custody by police for public intoxication three times in two months.

In 2014 alone, Mr Murrungun was picked up 63 times for public drunkenness, but 39 episodes went unrecorded by police and did not count towards the scheme.

However, 24 episodes of protective custody were recorded, which should have triggered the rehab assessment 14 times, said Kelvin Currie, counsel assisting the coroner.

"In the case of Mr Murrungun (the scheme) was completely ineffectual," he said.

"If he had triggered the scheme once or twice and had not been caught by the provisions, one might understand. However, in 2014 the trigger ... went off 14 times."

He said Mr Murrungun was only taken to be assessed for the rehab program twice, and the second time he escaped before he could be assessed.

Police have also failed to keep proper records or to respond to the issues of how the system is working or could be improved, he said, calling their response to the inquest "very disappointing".

"There is so little information either kept by the agencies, or, if kept, it has not been provided about why Mr Murrungun did not receive the mandated treatment, that the only conclusion you are able to draw is that the scheme is illusory," Mr Currie said.

"It made a mockery of the expectations of the community and the objectives of the scheme."

Three years into the scheme there is no evidence that systematic failures aren't continuing, he said.

Several questions were put to NT Health Minister John Elferink on the alcohol mandatory treatment scheme, but a spokesman said the minister does not comment on matters before the coroner.

Coroner Greg Cavanagh will hand down his findings at a later date.