Covid-19 Qld hotel quarantine suicide victim revealed

A man who suicided in Brisbane hotel quarantine had recently made an attempt to end his life in Canberra, a friend of his family says.

The victim of a Brisbane hotel quarantine suicide has been revealed as his shattered family demand answers from police and Queensland Health about the tragedy, with allegations he was “not OK” when forced into isolation.

Former RAAF officer Matt Carroll, 53, of Narangba north of Brisbane, took his own life at the Novotel Airport hotel on September 27, two days after arriving back in Queensland from Canberra.

Mr Carroll, a respected aeronautical engineer who had been visiting family in the national capital, was found by police dead in his room with self-inflicted injuries.

A suicide note was discovered at the scene.

He left behind a wife and 19-year-old son.

Following the tragedy, his widow told The Courier-Mail she believed her badly depressed husband would still be alive had he been allowed to quarantine at home.

A source close to the family said the family said they had learned Mr Carroll “wasn’t OK” when he got off the plane in Brisbane, having arrived back without telling his wife.

He was believed to be distressed at Brisbane Airport but “picked up” by the time he got to the Novotel.

Matt Carroll suicided in Novotel Airport hotel

“He made an attempt to (end his life) in Canberra and was placed involuntarily in Canberra Hospital’s psychiatric ward for two weeks,” the source said.

“This isn’t a man who was OK. He was crying out for help.”

It’s believed Mr Carroll’s wife was not told by police that he was at the airport or that they had any concerns about him.

Mr Carroll had arrived without a correct border pass and was to be held in hotel quarantine for 72 hours before being put on a return flight to Canberra.

The source said despite being identified as a potential mental health risk, Mr Carroll was able to buy large amounts of alcohol.

Mr Carroll was privately cremated yesterday.

His family said they were too upset to comment, but released photos of him.

His widow told The Courier-Mail after the tragedy that Mr Carroll had been suffering major depression after his twin brother died of cancer last year and his mother was also diagnosed with the disease, but believes being forced into hotel quarantine may have “pushed him over the edge”.

She said he had been planning to return to Queensland after Canberra came out of its protracted lockdown, but came back unexpectedly after telling her he was trying to get an exemption to home quarantine.

“He did suffer from depression but we didn’t expect this to happen – it’s a shock,” she said at the time.

Matt Carroll was an RAAF officer earlier in life.

“With his mental health, he shouldn’t have been put into hotel quarantine.

“People who are depressed shouldn’t be put in hotel quarantine. In my mind that was a factor that may have pushed him over the edge.

“I understand all of the things the Queensland Government is doing – I understand (the need for) masks and lockdowns.

“But I don’t understand why we can’t do something different for people with major depression who may be at risk of suicide.

“I believe if my husband had been in home quarantine, he’d still be alive – that’s my strong belief. There must be options. There must be other ways.”

Mr Carroll’s death is being investigated by the Queensland Coroner, and police declined to comment.

The tragedy came after the hotel quarantine death of Brendan Luxton – a school friend of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk – who took his life a day after leaving hotel quarantine despite desperate pleas to Queensland Health that he was in crisis.

Mr Luxton, a retired successful financier, took his own life within 24 hours of release from the Marriott Hotel in July 2020.

His family went public last month about the tragedy, saying Mr Luxton went into a mental health “death spiral” while locked in hotel quarantine.

They claimed Queensland Health ignored at least eight warnings he was gravely ill.