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RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Killer's emails showed escalating risk, public deserves inquiry
Elliot Cameron was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 10 years for murdering Faye Phelps. Photo: Pool/ NZME / George Heard The public "deserves an inquiry" into the forensic mental health system, says the Chief Victims Advisor, after revelations an elderly mental health patient who murdered a pensioner killed his brother 50 years ago . Elliot Cameron was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch last week to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 10 years by Justice Rachel Dunningham for murdering 83-year-old Frances Anne Phelps, known as Faye. A suppression order was lifted on Monday, allowing RNZ to report Cameron killed his brother Jeffrey Cameron in 1975. A jury found him not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and detained as a special patient. Cameron was made a voluntary patient at Hillmorton Hospital in 2016, and then in October last year murdered Phelps, striking her with an axe. 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 response to the revelations, Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money said it was hard to see Phelps' death as "anything other than preventable". "Mr Cameron was clearly in mental distress and as these communications show his risk was escalating. He knew it so why didn't those professionals caring for him recognise it and if they did, what action if any did they take?" 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. After that article, Money called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into forensic mental health facilities. On Monday evening, Money said she stood by her recommendation. "Now four weeks on, we learn of another patient who has warned of his intent and distress numerous times and yet he too has gone on to kill for a second time. "The public deserves an inquiry that can give actionable expert recommendations, as opposed to multiple Coroners inquests and recommendations that do not have the same binding influence. The patients themselves, and the public will be best served by an independent inquiry, not another internal review that changes nothing." Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money says it is hard to see Faye Phelps' death as "anything other than preventable". Photo: Stephanie Creagh Photography In 2010, Cameron made an alarming suggestion to his cousin. "Once someone has been driven to murder... it is a lot easier to... drive them to murder again," he wrote. "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." "I am correctly placed in a mental hospital," he said. "I should remain where I am." His anxieties around any change in his circumstances bubbled up again in 2016 when his patient status was changed to "informal" - meaning he was free to leave Hillmorton. "My mental state has not changed and I would be vulnerable in society and this would lead me to repeat the offence," he wrote to his cousin. "The mood here is to discharge anyone they can regardless of circumstances," he continued. "I would not like to go to jail but this may be my only option. I would need to remain in hospital. I would be grateful if you were prepared to look at this." In another email he wrote: "I may not have a better alternative than to re-offend. My vulnerability will lead me to recommit my original offence if forced on." At Elliot's sentencing it was revealed that in December 2022, he told nursing staff that 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, Elliot threatened "disastrous measures" if he was discharged. From left, Bill Phelps and Faye Phelps. Photo: Supplied Phelps' daughter Karen Phelps told RNZ it was "shocking and appalling" that Cameron had expressed his vulnerability and the risk he believed he posed to the community with Hillmorton staff. She does not believe he was listened to or given the help he needed, and was therefore "a ticking time bomb". "They knew Elliot had vulnerabilities, they knew he'd killed before. "In my view, knowing Elliot was continually raising concerns about his mental health and the fact he might reoffend if released into the community, the blood of my mother is clearly on the hands of the DHB. It's hard to see it any other way. "They knew Elliot had vulnerabilities, they knew he'd killed before. "In my view, knowing Elliot was continually raising concerns about his mental health and the fact he might reoffend if released into the community, the blood of my mother is clearly on the hands of the DHB. It's hard to see it any other way." Health New Zealand deputy chief executive Te Waipounamu Martin Keogh earlier expressed "heartfelt condolences" to Phelps' family for their loss. "We have taken this tragic event extremely seriously and a full external review is progressing. "We have been in touch with the family and are keeping them updated on the review. Once the review is completed, it will be shared with the family and the coroner." Keogh was unable to provide further comment while the review is ongoing and the Coroner's inquest is yet to be completed. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said in a statement to RNZ he had been "very clear" more needed to be done to improve mental health and addiction outcomes and services in New Zealand. The Mental Health Bill currently before Parliament aimed to set out a new approach to the decision-making around change of status from special patient. If passed, the bill would establish a Forensic Review Tribunal responsible for determining long leave, reviewing the condition of these patients, and determining changes in legal status. "Any serious incident, particularly where someone is tragically killed, is a cause of very serious concern. "That is why it is important that investigations and reviews are triggered and recommendations for changes to services are acted on. As minister my focus will be on ensuring agencies involved are putting in place the necessary changes to help prevent these incidents occurring again." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Mt Pleasant murder victim deserves proper inquiry
The government's chief victims adviser believes details released today about the death of Francis Phelps, or Faye as she was known, and her murder reinforce the need for a proper inquiry. She is still waiting for a response from the government but said there are no winners in this case. Ruth Money spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
30-04-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
'Urgent review' needed after mental health patient commits second killing
Photo: RNZ The Chief Victims Advisor is calling for an "urgent review" of all mental health patients who have had their status changed, after it was revealed a man who was ruled insane after killing someone two decades ago has killed again. RNZ has revealed 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. Releasing a person into the community after they have been designated a special patient requires the sign off of the minister of health, the attorney general and the director of mental health. The man was released more than a decade ago, and later had his status changed to being a patient under the Mental Health Act. At the time of his second killing, he was subject to a Community Treatment Order. RNZ is unable to publish details regarding either killings as the decision to lift name suppression has now been taken to the Court of Appeal, meaning the man and his victim can not be identified until the appeal has been determined. Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money told RNZ the case was "my worst fear", adding she felt "physically sick" when she read the article today. "It's pretty hard to see how this could be any worse." Money wants an "urgent review" for any patient who has had their status changed. "Clearly something is seriously wrong with how these people have chosen to re-classify their status," she said. "It's getting to the point where we need a Royal Commission to find out what's happening in these facilities." Ruth Money. Photo: Stephanie Creagh Photography Money said there would be many patients who had the correct classification. "But at this point I don't think the public can have any faith that the allocations or the classifications have been done safely. "We have got people killing members of the community who have been classified by the senior people in mental health as safe, clearly we have a significant problem because the community wasn't safe." Mental health patient Elliot Cameron pleaded guilty earlier this month to murdering Faye Phelps at her Christchurch home in October last year. Nearly 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 revealed earlier this week that Phelps, and others who employed Cameron to do their gardening, were unaware he was actually a mental health patient who had been living at Hillmorton Hospital for many years. After RNZ's story about Cameron, Money wrote to director of mental health Dr John Crawshaw. In her email - seen by Phelps' daughter - Money wrote she was "both extremely concerned and outraged" to read about Phelps' death. "This is not the first time it has happened, but it needs to be the last." Money said she wanted to understand what support was being offered to Phelps' family, what he was doing to expedite the reports, and what support was being offered to Waka Tunidau's family. She also asked when the investigation of Canterbury District Mental Health Services - launched after Tunidau's murder - was going to be released. Money told RNZ she was "very concerned" from a victim's perspective about the "systemic issues" around victims of mental health patients. "This isn't the first innocent death at the hands of someone from this mental health facility, and it seems that we are waiting an inordinate amount of time for reports that have been promised that could have prevented unnecessary assaults." She wants Health New Zealand to commit to timelines so that the families are updated. "They need to be transparent with the care that is being offered to the families, but also the staff in these institutions. And importantly, there needs to be an urgent and long, lasting review and change so that this doesn't happen again," she said. "How many more people need to die? How many more victims do we need to create before systemic change happens? This must be prevented at all costs." In a statement to RNZ, Dr Crawshaw said he had replied to Money's email, and offered an opportunity to meet and discuss broader issues relevant to both their roles. He said reviews specific to serious events were undertaken by Health New Zealand. Dr Crawshaw's report investigates wider concerns about the mental health service provision in the Canterbury district of Health New Zealand. He said the investigation looks into the service at a systemic level: its general and clinical governance, its resourcing and overarching care model. "All of which take some considerable time to review, analyse and report." The broader review was scheduled to be completed mid-year, he said. In a statement, Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey said he had been "very clear that we can and must do better to improve mental health and addiction outcomes and services in New Zealand". "Within mental health there is a range of services available that are focused on addressing the mental health and addiction issues that many people face. In addition, we have specialised forensic services who provide rehabilitation to special patients, with the aim of protecting the public and keeping patients safe. "As a result of rehabilitation, special patients may progress to a point where it is appropriate for their legal status to be reviewed. Before this occurs, there is a transition period where the person remains a special patient but is granted progressive community leave with clinical supervision and family or wider support. If the patient is progressing well, they may be granted extended periods of approved leave. Leave may have specific conditions applied regarding treatment required, or activities or movement in the community." Doocey said there were "multiple checks and balances in place when it came to special patient decisions. "These include the Director of Mental Health who gives advice and a recommendation, the responsible clinician and in some instances the Special Patient Review Panel and the Mental Health Review Tribunal. It is only at the end of this process that a person's status as a special patient may be reviewed. A change in status will only be granted if specified criteria, including public safety, are met. "Even when a person is changed from special patient status, they will usually progress to being a patient where care is provided under compulsory treatment orders. These orders are regularly reviewed. These are long standing processes used for many years and aligned with approaches used in countries similar to our own." He said the Mental Health Bill currently before Parliament would set out a new approach to the decision-making around change of status from special patient. "If passed, the Bill will establish a Forensic Review Tribunal responsible for determining long leave, reviewing the condition of these patients, and determining changes in legal status. "Any serious incident, particularly where someone is tragically killed, is a cause of very serious concern. That is why it is important that investigations and reviews are triggered and recommendations for changes to services are acted on." Labour mental health spokeswoman Ingrid Leary told RNZ it would be "inappropriate" to comment on either the Cameron case or the case involving the man found insane twice as they were each subject to review processes. "I would expect the reviews to look at systems and information gaps to see whether existing processes were followed and whether there are systems gaps that need to change. "Like everyone else, I want to ensure cases like this don't happen again and will keep close eyes as the reviews evolve." Leary said it was "premature" to suggest a full review into the mental health system. "While these cases are harrowing and deeply unfortunate it's important to allow the review process to occur and respond appropriately rather than taking a knee-jerk approach which might not actually lead to the best and whole solution based on all the evidence." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
