The public “deserves an inquiry” into the forensic mental health system, says the Chief Victims Adviser, 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 Adviser 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.
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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.”
The emails
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.
‘Ticking time bomb’
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.”
rnz.co.nz
