Brendon Crippen: Farm worker takes life days after escaping Tasmanian hospital

A Central Victorian mother has detailed her son’s final moments before he took his life as a Coroner addresses a deadly gap in the state’s mental health system.

Brendon Crippen, 27, took his life on his mother's dairy property at Teal Point, Victoria, 55 days after escaping from a Tasmanian hospital in 2018. Picture: Facebook

When Brendan Crippen hugged his mother for the final time she knew something was wrong.

The next morning Brendan took his life at his mother’s Teal Point property on June 6, 2018, 55 days after he escaped from a Tasmanian hospital.

The Victorian Coroner’s Court heard Sharon Gackenheimer was never told that her son escaped from the acute mental health ward before he return to her dairy farm, in the Victoria’s north.

The 27-year-old farm worker‘s death has provoked calls for Victoria to establish cross-border agreements to stop critically ill patients falling in the gaps of the mental health system.

Coroner John Olle said there were limits on the information shared between the Tasmanian and Victorian health services because there was no interstate transfer agreement.

Eastern Health Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Head Jose Segal said an agreement would have allowed the health service to understand the urgency of Brendan’s mental state.

“Had a cross-border arrangement been in place of the type whereby an apprehension order made under the Mental Health Act in Tasmania was to be recognised as valid in Victoria,” Dr Segal said.

“This would have compelled Eastern Health to have acted in accordance with the order and to enact apprehension based follow-up protocols accordingly.”

Brendan’s mother said her son was a happy child, who grew into a smart and independent adult who largely kept to himself.

But his childhood was not without trauma.

When Brendon was six he watched his older sister Brianna die after being struck by a car on their way to school and at age 14 his father Brett Crippen took his own life.

Brendon left the family’s Teal Point property in 2013 to travel and work across New Zealand, Tasmania and Victoria.

At 26 he was diagnosed with psychosis schizophreniform, and later with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

He was admitted to the Royal Hobart Hospital Acute Psychiatric Unit in January 2018, and readmitted in April.

Five days after returning to the acute psychiatric unit Brendon escaped from the hospital.

Tasmanian Police and the Mental Health Tribunal were alerted the 27-year-old had gone AWOL.

The Coroner’s report said Brendan’s family were not told he had escaped from the hospital.

After being told the escaped patient was in Victoria the health service faxed his details to the Eastern Health Community Adult Mental Health Program.

But the 27-year-old received no further mental health treatment in the days leading to his death.

Brendan returned to his mother’s home where she noticed his deteriorating mental health, saying he was quieter, spoke uncharacteristically slowly and would sit on the couch and stare into space for hours.

Brendon Crippen, 27, took his life on his mother's dairy property at Teal Point, Victoria, 55 days after escaping from a Tasmanian hospital in 2018. Picture: Facebook

In June Ms Gackenheimer spoke to her son about attending the Barham Medical Clinic for treatment and he agreed.

That same night Brendon hugged his mother twice, which she said was unusual.

He took his life the following morning.

Coroner John Olle said Brendon received “inadequate” care and fell through the gaps of the health system.

“Considering Brendon had no medications, was still subject to a treatment order under the Tasmanian Mental Health Act, his serious mental illness diagnosis and that he was likely psychotic, active follow-up and frequent contact with mental health services was crucial to the management of Brendon’s care,” Mr Olle said.

He has called on the Chief Psychiatrist of Victoria to work with Chief Civil Psychiatrist of Tasmania to review the need for cross-border agreements for mental health patients.

Mr Olle also advocated the need for follow-up and transfer of care arrangements when patients move interstate.