Peter Kemball: Stephen Douglas stabbing death in Balmain East
A man who stabbed his mental health nurse to death was suffering from a “diseased mind” and was not aware the stabbing was “morally wrong” a court has heard. It comes as he potentially faces life in jail if convicted.
Inner West
Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner West. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The man accused of murdering his mental health nurse in Balmain East a year ago will argue he should be spared jail because his Schizophrenia meant he was not aware the stabbing was “morally wrong”.
Peter John Kemball, 41, is potentially facing life in jail if found guilty of the alleged frenzied stabbing that left Stephen James Douglas dead in November 2019.
Kemball will not face a jury and has elected to have his trial heard by judge-alone in the Supreme Court.
Mr Douglas, a much loved mental health nurse at Camperdown Community Health, was conducting a routine check up on Kemball when he was stabbed and left to bleed to death in the unit.
“Not guilty on the grounds of mental illness,” Kemball pleaded in the court on Monday.
His lawyer told the court they would not argue that Kemball stabbed Mr Douglas but that he should be found not guilty because he was suffering “from a diseased mind”.
At the time he believed “his parents were politicians” and “became paranoid”, his defence told the court.
Crown prosecutor Pat Barrett said Mr Douglas had been stabbed “a large number of times” in a case Justice Peter Johnson described as “tragic”.
“This is extremely tragic, Mr Douglas was performing an immensely important task at the time.”
Reports by two psychiatrists tendered to the court reveal Kemball has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and schitzo-effective disorder.
His lawyers argue he has been suffering from mental illness since the age of 20 and said he had been having “delusions” when he is alleged to have killed Mr Douglas.
Justice Johnson will hand down a verdict on Wednesday.