Latest news with #FrancesPhelps
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Murdered woman's body not found for three days after police call wrongly coded
Frances Anne Phelps - known as Faye - with her late husband Bill. Photo: Supplied A murdered woman's body was not found for three days after the emergency call to police was given the wrong code. Elliot Cameron was jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years at the High Court at Christchurch last week for murdering 83-year-old Frances Anne Phelps - known as Faye - on 4 October last year. On Monday, a suppression order was lifted revealing he killed his brother in 1975 and was detained as a special patient after being found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. Police now say an initial call about the attack on Phelps, via 105 at 4:36pm on 4 October, stated Cameron had disclosed to a nurse at Hillmorton Hospital that he assaulted a woman with an axe on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Bellview Avenue. "Given the limited information available at the time, the job was not coded as a serious or grievous assault, resulting in a unit not immediately being dispatched," the statement said. Elliot Alfred James Cameron at sentencing in the High Court at Christchurch on 10 June 2025. Photo: Pool/ NZME / George Heard Six hours later, at 10.43pm, another Hillmorton staff member called police and left a message saying Cameron since told them he made up the claim of assaulting someone. "Police acknowledge that the job should have been coded as a serious or grievous assault, however we believe it would not have changed the outcome of this terrible tragedy." They said they have since introduced training for emergency communications and dispatch staff. The calls to police were revealed at sentencing . The court was told Phelps' lawnmower man found her dead lying on the steps beside the garage door on 7 October and called emergency services. The court summary of facts said Phelps would have died very soon after the injuries were inflicted, if not immediately. RNZ exclusively obtained emails from Cameron to his cousin Alan Cameron sent over more than a decade , detailing his concerns that he might kill again. In his 60s, having spent most of his life as a mental health in-patient, had emailed his cousin Alan about why he needed to remain in hospital. "The probability of me repeating the offence outside hospital is greater than the probability of me repeating the offence where I am and so disrupting society is less when I remain in hospital," he wrote. "I am correctly placed in a mental hospital. I should remain where I am." Following the revelations, Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money said it was hard to see Phelps' death as "anything other than preventable". The public deserves an inquiry into the forensic mental health system, Money said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- RNZ News
Around the motu: Tim Brown in Christchurch
Canterbury 44 minutes ago Yanfei Bao's killer has been sentenced to at least 17 years in jail, a mental health patient has been sentenced to life in jail over the murder of Frances Phelps, the Christchurch community have had their say on the council's new alcohol policy draft, the large diesel spill at Christchurch Men's prison was caused by the hatch of a fuel tank being left open, and the Crusaders are hosting the Chiefs for the Super Rugby Pacific final this weekend. Tim Brown is a RNZ Christchurch reporter.
RNZ News
10-06-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Midday Report Essentials for Tuesday 10 June 2025
health transport 27 minutes ago In today's episode, Hillmorton patient Elliot Cameron has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 83-year-old Frances Anne Phelps, locals in the Northland town of Moerewa are taking it upon themselves to clean up burnt out cars and scorched rubber left behind from street racers, there has been a 25 percent decrease in the number of 16 to 25-year-olds who have donated blood at least once in a two-year period since 2020, and a severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo, and Taranaki.
RNZ News
10-06-2025
- RNZ News
Mental health patient who murdered pensioner jailed for life
Hillmorton patient Elliot Cameron has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 83-year-old Frances Anne Phelps in October last year. National crime correspondent Sam Sherwood spoke to Charlotte Cook.
RNZ News
10-06-2025
- RNZ News
Hillmorton patient Elliot Cameron sentenced to life in jail over murder of Frances Phelps
Elliot Cameron appears in the High Court in Christchurch this morning for sentencing for murder. Photo: Pool/ NZME / George Heard An elderly mental health patient who murdered a pensioner at her Christchurch home says he's "extremely sorry that I've done what I did", but does not recall doing it. It can now be revealed he had made threats to kill over the last decade if required to leave Hillmorton Hospital. Elliot Cameron was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch on Tuesday by Justice Rachel Dunningham for life imprisonment, with a minimum period of 10 years for murdering 83-year-old Frances Anne Phelps, known as Faye, in October 4 last year. RNZ earlier revealed that Phelps and other residents who had the 76-year-old do their gardens on Mt Pleasant for about a decade, did not know he was a mental health patient who had been living at Hillmorton Hospital for many years. Before sentencing began Cameron told Justice Dunningham he "didn't intend doing that, I just don't know what happened". "I'm very, very sorry and Karen Phelps the daughter of Faye Phelps said what I did was very out of character and that is true I think." At sentencing the summary of facts detailing what Cameron did was released for the first time. The summary said Cameron had been the gardener for Phelps' neighbour for over 10 years. After her husband died in 2022, Cameron continued to help with Phelps' garden on a casual basis. Cameron first came to the attention of Mental Health Services in 1968 after a brain injury thought to have arisen following surgery as a teenager. His special patient status ended many years ago, however he remained residing at Hillmorton Hospital. As at 2024, there were no court orders or other legal requirements compelling him to remain nor was he under treatment. Accordingly, there was no lawful impediment to Cameron leaving and living elsewhere. He resided within the mental health system since 1975. Since 2016, Cameron had been a voluntary patient, chosen not to self-discharge, and basically refused to leave Hillmorton Hospital despite efforts made to move him. Because of his voluntary status, he was free to come and go from the hospital most days using public transport and riding his bike. There had been discussion about him moving. However, over the last decade Cameron had made threats to kill if required to leave Hillmorton Hospital. In December 2022, he told nursing staff he would be "hard to ignore if he was chopping up bodies" and continued threats over the next couple of months to kill people if discharged from hospital. In July 2024 he threatened "disastrous measures" if he was discharged. On September 30, 2024 Cameron was doing gardening work for Phelps' neighbour. He called in at her house and asked whether she would like any gardening done. Over the next week Phelps and the defendant exchanged emails, and it was arranged he would come that Friday. During this time, Hillmorton Hospital staff were assisting him to reduce some of his belongings that he had accumulated at the hospital. Hospital notes recorded he was anxious regarding his immediate future. On October 4, 2024 Cameron left the hospital at 8.50am after breakfast. He walked to the bus stop on Annex Rd and caught the bus to Mt Pleasant getting off at the stop directly opposite Phelps' driveway at 10.07am. Cameron met Phelps at the garage door which Phelps had opened. From inside the garage Cameron retrieved a small axe that he had previously used in the garden. He then struck Phelps in the head with an axe multiple times, causing fatal injuries. He then left her and walked to the bus stop and caught a bus back to Annex Rd. He arrived back at the hospital at 12.17pm. About 1.30pm a hospital staff member suggested to Cameron that a box of bike parts could be removed from his room in response to which he threatened to "kick her head in". About 4pm, he disclosed to two separate nurses that between 10am and 10.30am he had assaulted a woman on the corner of Mt Pleasant and Bellview Ave with an axe and to call police. The nurses reported his comments to police communications at 4.36pm, however due to a number of factors this was not taken further. About 4.55pm on 7 October, Phelps' lawnmower man found her dead lying on the steps beside the garage door. He called emergency services. When spoken to by police, Cameron said he went to Phelps' home as he occasionally did. He said that when he arrived, he saw she had been injured and left the property as he didn't want to be blamed for the injuries. Photo: Pool/ NZME / George Heard Phelps' daughter Karen Phelps wrote a victim impact statement for sentencing. She was not in court, but gave a copy of her statement to RNZ. "The effect on our family of losing Faye in such a violent and sudden way has been indescribably traumatic," she said. Her mother was a "kind and generous soul" who was loved and treasured by all who met her. "It seems unfathomable that she would suffer such an awful death. It still feels surreal and is hard to get my head around what's happened. "You read about things like this in the newspaper but you never think it will happen to your family. I was really close to my mum. She wasn't just my mother; she was also my friend. It's incredibly painful that I will never see her again." Karen Phelps said counselling had been "helpful," but there were still a lot of emotions and it would take a long time to process what had happened. "I'm haunted by visions of the way she died, her lying alone for days before she was discovered and all the aftermath I have had to deal with. At times I've had trouble eating and functioning on even a basic level. "I've had to take time off work and it's made me hesitant to socialise as wherever I go somebody will say something about what's happened to Mum. My life will never be the same again." She said her family "trusted" Cameron, and had known him for over a decade. "It is particularly astounding he was allowed to do gardening for an elderly woman widower. Mum's death is a tragedy for us but also for Elliot and his family," she said. "The greatest tragedy is that I believe mum's death was preventable if Elliot had received the care he wanted and needed." She believed Cameron needed to be held in a secure facility for the rest of his life, so he could get the support he needed to keep both him and the public safe. "No matter what his age, he could be a threat. It would certainly make me feel anxious if he was ever out in the public again as it would others in the community." Faye (Frances Anne) Phelps and her late husband Bill. Photo: Supplied She ended her statement by saying Faye Phelps was a "fit 83-year-old" who "had a lot of life to live". "She was an introvert, happy to mainly be at home, which is why it is ironic that her death has been so public. Mum would have hated all the attention. "I'd like her to be remembered as a giving, kind hearted, compassionate Christian woman who always thought of others before herself. She had a strong inner character. I learned a lot from her and really admired her as did so many others. I will miss her forever but I am eternally grateful that she was my mum." Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes said a life sentence should be imposed. He said there were aggravating factors including Phelps' particular vulnerability such as her age and she was living alone. Cameron was known to her and the attack would've been "entirely completely unexpected". There was a use of a weapon and that was picked up by Cameron at the property itself. The matter of premeditation given some comments made which indicated a degree of contemplation that something was going to happen. An appropriate minimum term of imprisonment was 12 to 13 years with a discount for his guilty plea. Cameron's lawyer, Craig Ruane said he acknowledged a sentence of life imprisonment was appropriate and a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years was appropriate. He submitted that there was no suggestion he put previous threats into effect in the past. It appeared to be a "spontaneous act". He had a "long history of mental illness". Justice Rachel Dunningham said Cameron suffered from a "persistent personality disturbance". Reports noted there was no treatment for his condition. He also had a "high-level of intellectual functioning", with an above average intelligence. She said there was "some inconsistency" of what he recollected. She said he had not shown any level of remorse for his actions, until just before sentencing. His apology was "too little too late," Justice Dunningham said. "You knowingly killed a vulnerable woman without any provocation from her. You've shown no real remorse for doing so." Any sympathy regarding his brain injury was offset by the "clear danger" he posed to the community. She said there were several aggravating factors including that Phelps lived alone and did nothing to provoke the attack. Karen Phelps earlier told RNZ she was shocked when she was told by police that Cameron had been living at Hillmorton Hospital and that her family, and others who also employed him, were not told. She understood the need for privacy, but did not think it was appropriate for him to be out in the public in an unmonitored way doing gardening. She wants an inquiry into her mother's death and wants to know if Cameron was getting adequate support for his mental health and whether gaps in his support put the public at risk. Three years ago, in June 2022, Hillmorton Hospital forensic mental health patient Zakariye Mohamed Hussein stabbed Laisa Waka Tunidau to death as she walked home from work. Hussein was on community leave at the time of the killing. RNZ earlier revealed another case involving a man who was made a special patient under the Mental Health Act after his first killing was recently found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity for a second time, after killing someone he believed was possessed. Health New Zealand deputy chief executive Te Waipounamu Martin Keogh earlier told RNZ an independent review was underway. The findings and recommendations would be shared with the family, Keogh said. "We acknowledge that this has taken longer than the family, or we, would like and apologise for this. While we endeavour to keep within our estimated timeframe, sometimes complex cases need more time to allow a thorough and robust review to be conducted, particularly when it sits with an independent panel. "To keep the family informed of the review timing, we provided an update through their police liaison. We continue to provide further updates, information, or answer any question they may have, through the police liaison as needed."
