Dubbo mayor Ben Shields breaks silence after suicide attempt

After attempting to end his life, the embattled mayor of Dubbo has told of a two-decade long mental health battle while calls for him to stand down continue.

Dubbo Mayor Ben Shields has told of how a secret 20-year battle with mental illness and pressure to quit led him to attempt to take his own life.

Councillor Shields was rushed to hospital on March 31 after a majority of councillors publicly called for him to stand down because of concerns about his alleged conduct in the role.

Dubbo Mayor Ben Shields leaves his office after his first day back at work.

“Knowing that the attacks would keep occurring each and every day, my reaction was very different to all the other times challenges have occurred in council,” Cr Shields wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

“I thought the only way out was to kill myself.”

Cr Shields said if it was not for his friend and fellow councillor Greg Mohr, he would be dead.

“One of the last memories I have from that afternoon before emergency services turned up is laying on my kitchen floor with my sausage dog Charlie licking my neck,” Cr Shields wrote.

“I remember thanking him for being the best little doggie I have ever had.”

Dubbo Mayor Ben Shields has spoken about his mental health battle for the first time.

For six days after the suicide attempt, Cr Shields said he was in a coma on life support at Dubbo base hospital.

“During that period my kidneys failed, I had a fever, tremors and developed a lung infection.

“After I finally woke up it was discovered that I had developed pneumonia in the lungs.”

Cr Shields said the illness was so severe he had to be flown to Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital to have part of his lung removed.

“Once my lung treatment concluded it was finally time to confront my mental health demons.

“I spent some time with specialist mental health practitioners. With their guidance, a much better and more comprehensive mental health plan has been arranged.”

Cr Shields hit out at moves by councillors to limit his access to council equipment and reduce his mayoral allowance while he was on medical leave.

“There was no pause in the attacks until I recovered,” he said.

“I believe when something like this happens you have three choices.

“You can either let it define you, let it destroy you or you can let it strengthen you. I choose the latter.”

On Tuesday morning before the Facebook post was shared, the council’s interim chief executive officer, Dean Frost, said he met with Cr Shields to discuss “a safe return to work strategy”.

“It was agreed that Cr Shields would return to focus on the essential functions of his role,” Mr Frost said.

“I will continue to work with Cr Shields to ensure a seamless transition in the coming weeks.”

No changes to existing council policies had been made by Cr Shields, Mr Frost said.

His comments mean a new policy created by deputy mayor Stephen Lawrence before, while he was acting mayor, still applies.

Dubbo Regional Council interim CEO Dean Frost and deputy mayor Stephen Lawrence at an extraordinary council meeting held in April 2021. Picture: Ryan Young

The policy prevents Cr Shields from accessing his office and making official phone calls without staff being present.

It also requires Cr Shields to be accompanied by staff while on official duties outside council premises and to have all official letters and emails he sends to be checked by the interim CEO.

Following reports Cr Shields intended to resume the top job, Cr Lawrence requested an extraordinary council meeting to be held on Saturday.

Mr Frost said the agenda for the meeting had not yet been finalised, however it’s understood the meeting would be held to confirm details of an independent investigation into council which has been supported by a majority of councillors.

Before Cr Shields posted on Facebook, Cr Lawrence said a council meeting needed to be held on Saturday because “there was a range of people not available on different days” and council wanted to meet this week.

“There’s nothing unusual about having a council meeting on a Saturday,” he said.

Cr Greg Mohr had claimed the meeting could cost up to $10,000, however Cr Lawrence said that was “ludicrous” and wrong.

Deputy mayor Stephen Lawrence said councillors have acted in the public interest. Picture: Christian Gilles

Calls for Cr Shields to resign were triggered by complaints made by community members, Cr Lawrence said.

“I pursued the course of action that I did because we needed to respond to the large range of allegations.

“The large majority of councillors want him to resign, his position is untenable.

“We will continue to act in the public interest.”

In a recent report to councillors, Mr Frost said since a call was made for community members to come forward with complaints about councillors at the end of March an “unprecedented number of complaints” had been received.

The complaints are currently being investigated by multiple independent organisations and a review of council’s handling of previous complaints has been initiated.

Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock did not respond to a request for comment.

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