David Janzow, who killed his son while affected by mental illness, will reside in low-security while awaiting bid for release

A man who killed his son while affected by mental illness is a step closer to freedom — and homicide victim advocates say that’s ok.

A man who killed his son while affected by mental illness will remain in a low-security facility, gardening and learning life skills, while awaiting his bid for release into the community.

Since 2018, David Janzow has resided at Ashton House at Oakden – a 10-bed mental health unit designed to help patients who are detained by the courts reacclimate to society.

Ashton House is the final stage in the “step-down” process that sees detained patients move from high security to release as their health stabilises and rehabilitation continues.

Even if released, however, Mr Janzow will remain under supervised treatment for the rest of his life – and can be arrested and re-detained for any breach of strict court conditions.

Luca Janzow.

David Janzow.

Sharon McKell, from the Homicide Victim Support Group of SA, said it was understandable people may have concerns about Mr Janzow being released after seven years.

“I’ll admit that, when I first saw the news, my thought was ‘it’s only been seven years’ but then I remembered courts don’t sign off on the release of people who aren’t well,” she said.

“If a patient is still psychotic they will not be permitted to move to lower security, let alone be considered for release.

“I don't’ know if seven years or 20 years truly matters when it’s about a person getting well … their getting well is what society should want.”

On Monday, Mr Janzow asked the Supreme Court to alter the conditions of his treatment orders and permit him to live in the community while rehabilitating.

In July 2014, he killed his son Luca, 4, and was subsequently found not guilty of murder by reason of mental incompetence.

James Nash House at Oakden. Picture: Colin James.

An exercise yard at James Nash House.

He received a limiting term – a period under mental health supervision equal to the prison sentence an unaffected person would receive – of life.

Following the tragedy, Luca’s mother, Julia Trinne, called for “greater awareness and acceptance of the mentally unwell”.

Mr Janzow was initially held at James Nash House, a high-security facility that shares grounds with Ashton House.

The 50-bed facility, which also has medium and low-security wards, frequently assesses patients, sets medication regimes and provides access to health professionals.

Patients, each of whom has their own room, are treated by psychiatrists, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, social workers and volunteers.

When doctors deem a patient ready, they transition to having infrequent overnight stays at Ashton House to assess their suitability for more relaxed conditions.

If successful – and once a bed is available and a court gives permission – they move to Ashton House full-time while continuing their treatment and medication regimes.

A kitchen constructed as part of the $5 million redevelopment of James Nash House.

The facility has high, medium and low security wards.

Additionally, inpatients at Ashton House are taught life skills and resocialisation techniques to enable them to one day live in the community – still while being medically treated.

Classes include budgeting and financial management, dealing with crowds and high stress situations, coping with triggering situations, cooking and diet.

With court approval, Ashton House inpatients may make supervised visits into the community, accompanied initially by mental health workers and later by family members.

They must, however, observe a curfew and return to the facility every night, unless a court has permitted an overnight stay at a residential address.

Should those efforts be successful, and doctors are supportive, a patient may apply to be released and join the more than 200 people living “on licence” in the SA community.

Released patients are subject to parole-like conditions governing their movements, banning alcohol and drugs, and requiring them to continue therapy and medication.

At each stage of the step-down process, reports are ordered not only from experts but also the families of victims, who are asked their opinion of granting greater freedoms.

However, some families feel those reports achieve little and have hired lawyers to represent their interests in court.

Mr Janzow was permitted supervised visits in 2018 and, a year later, that was extended to unsupervised visits with the same curfew conditions.

His bid for release will be heard in April.