By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
MENTAL Health Minister Martin Foley has said that careful consideration will be given to a Coroner’s findings into a man who killed a work colleague after being released from Casey Hospital’s mental health ward days earlier.
The findings into the 52-year-old Narre Warren victim’s death were released on 6 July, prompting his widow to pronounce the “broken” mental health system had let her family down.
The victim’s wife told the News that she had pushed for the inquest because she didn’t want another family to go through the same torment.
“My husband was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person,” she said.
“It could happen to anyone unless we see change.
“Our system is broken, and it needs to be fixed.”
In his findings, State Coroner John Olle recommended that acute-care mental health patients should have access to therapeutic recovery units and specialist forensic psychiatrists prior to their release.
Mr Foley said on Wednesday 8 July that “cases like this are always concerning”.
“My department has only just received the Coroner’s recommendations and will consider them carefully.”
He said such issues would be considered as the State Government developed its 10-year mental health strategic plan.
On Monday 6 July, Mr Olle found the victim had died from multiple injuries and immersion in a home swimming pool in Narre Warren on 25 January 2009.
The perpetrator – whose name was omitted in Mr Olle’s report – had an “alcohol dependence disorder” and killed the victim during a mutual weekend drinking session.
He had been released as an involuntary patient from Casey Hospital on 16 January after taking his parents hostage in a seven-hour siege two weeks earlier.
Mr Olle’s inquest focused on the killer’s medical management, but he emphasised his role was not to lay blame.
In his report, Mr Olle referred to the man making threats to kill beforehand, his frightened parents intending to take out intervention orders, and his instability and intimidation in the ward.
Two days before the fatal assault, a case manager interviewed the man and judged him to be threatening in manner but not a risk of harm to others, Mr Olle said.
“(His) hallucinations and delusions were still present and real to him.”
Mr Olle said the care by Monash Health staff was “not unreasonable or inappropriate” in the circumstances but “hindsight has revealed poor clinical decisions were made”.
