Mathew Flame trial: Accused Liam Anderson killer’s shared needles in jail, court told
Mathew Flame shared needles to inject drugs while in jail on remand, his trial for the murder of Liam Anderson has heard.
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Murder accused Mathew Flame used shared needles to inject drugs while in jail on remand and once collapsed in his cell when served breakfast, a trial has been told.
The 22-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murdering Rose Tattoo singer Angry Anderson’s son Liam, 26, after partying and taking ecstasy on Sydney’s northern beaches in November 2018.
The NSW Supreme Court was told on Friday that in February this year Flame’s cellmate woke him up one morning so they could have breakfast before he walked to the door and collapsed to the ground.
Staff found a fresh injection mark on the inside of his right elbow and he was taken to Westmead Hospital to be looked at by doctors.
Crown prosecutor Gareth Christofi told the court Flame admitted to a medico he had injected buprenorphine every two days for a three-month period but said “he couldn’t guarantee what he was actually taking”.
In March Flame admitted to active intravenous drug use in custody and was referred to drug and alcohol services for opioid-dependent treatment, the court heard.
Mr Christofi told the court Flame sometimes used shared needles to inject the illicit drugs into his arms.
“He said he started using suboxone whilst in custody and had used it in the previous four to five months. He said that he used half a strip of eight milligrams when available and used it intravenously using shared needles,” Mr Christofi said.
“He claimed that it helped to calm and relax him however he didn’t want to use it anymore.
“He also said he tried intravenous ice or crystal methamphetamine twice whilst in custody.”
The court was also told Flame lied about hearing voices while in jail on remand in order to get a risk intervention team cell and at one point was worried he might harm someone.
The trial has been focusing on Flame’s state of mind on November 4, 2018, when he allegedly murdered Mr Anderson by fatally bashing him in a Queenscliff park.
Prosecutors allege he was psychotic due to his voluntary drug use, but his defence team argues he should be found not guilty to murder by way of mental illness.
The jury has been told Flame was diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia in July 2019 after showing symptoms for at least six months.
Mr Christofi read from a report and told the court the diagnosis of a mental condition such as schizophrenia requires that the disturbance not be attributable to the effects of illicit drugs.
Forensic psychiatrist Professor David Greenberg has told the court he thought Flame was suffering from a drug-induced psychosis during the alleged murder but that some of his mental health symptoms in jail were more likely related to “an onset of schizophrenia rather than a drug induced psychosis”.
The trial continues.
October 29: Flame was paranoid in jail, trial told
Murder accused Mathew Flame was calling his mother 10 times a day and grew paranoid about mixing with other inmates while in jail on remand, a trial has been told.
The NSW Supreme Court has been told Flame took ecstasy and thought Mr Anderson was a demon who “just wanted me dead” before he fatally bashed his close mate in a small Queenscliff park.
Crown prosecutor Gareth Christofi told the jury on Thursday that after being taken into custody Flame continued to have thoughts that other inmates and staff were demons.
“Justice Health records note that Mr Flame spoke of regret, guilt and expressed that he was terrified about being incarcerated and frightened of what would happen to him,” the prosecutor said.
Flame was anxious about having to mix with other inmates in his jail’s yard while on remand and was calling his mother up to 10 times a day at one point, the court heard.
The jury was told in July 2019 he was diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia after he showed symptoms for more than six months while behind bars on remand.
The court was told forensic psychiatrist Professor David Greenberg said in a report he thought Flame was suffering from a drug-induced psychosis at the time of Mr Anderson’s death.
“At the time of the offence I’m of the opinion that Mr Flame was suffering from a drug-induced psychosis … with onset during intoxication,” the court heard Prof Greenberg wrote.
“At that time, he had no evidence of pre-existing or current mental illness which was triggered or exacerbated by his drug use.”
Prof Greenberg told the court before the incident Flame was by all accounts a healthy young man with no symptoms or signs of having a mental illness and was working as an apprentice plumber.
He said that lots of young people take drugs and it is not known why some have a psychotic reaction.
“A lot of people take drugs, very few people develop drug-induced psychosis, we don’t understand why,” he said.
The trial continues.
October 28: ‘I didn’t realise it was my best mate I’d just killed’
Mathew Flame told police he didn’t realise it was “actually my best mate that I’d just killed” before barrister Charles Waterstreet asked for the interview to stop, a murder trial has been told.
Flame, now 22, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Rose Tattoo singer Angry Anderson’s son Liam, 26, during a drug-fuelled bender on Sydney’s northern beaches in November 2018.
The NSW Supreme Court was told on Tuesday that police warned Flame he had the right to silence before he was interviewed the following morning and said he was shocked when he learnt of Mr Anderson’s death.
“I didn’t find out I’d killed Liam until later that day, I was just broken down, I couldn’t believe it, I knew my hands were buggered up, I knew I’d hurt somebody, but it just it wasn’t real enough to realise it was actually my best mate that I’d just killed,” Flame said.
However, after an hour of being questioned, barrister Charles Waterstreet phoned police and asked them not to continue before officers temporarily suspended the interview so Flame could speak to his lawyers, the court heard.
Flame told police he wanted to be straight because he wanted Mr Anderson’s family to have “closure”, the court heard.
“I just want to be straight up with you guys, I want Liam’s family to have closure, I want them to know the truth,” he said.
Flame’s current barrister John Stratton, SC, wants the jury to return a verdict of not guilty to murder by way of mental illness, but prosecutors argue his psychosis was the result of his voluntary drug use on the night of the fatal bashing at a Queenscliff park.
The jury has been told Flame, who told police he thought Mr Anderson was a demon, has since being diagnosed with a schizophrenic disorder while on remand.
Justice Richard Button has told the jury that both sides in the case accept that Flame thought his friend was a demon trying to harm him but that there was an “important point of controversy” over what caused that psychosis.
Crown prosecutor Gareth Christofi previously told the court the onus was on Flame’s legal team to prove on the balance of probabilities he was substantially impaired during the incident if he was to be convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter and not murder.
The trial continues.
Originally published as Mathew Flame trial: Accused Liam Anderson killer’s shared needles in jail, court told