Henry Hammond to remain in jail awaiting place at psychiatric hospital over Courtney Herron killing
Henry Hammond, the man found not guilty by mental impairment of beating Courtney Herron to death with a tree branch, will be forced to remain in jail for six months while waiting for a bed in a psychiatric hospital.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A man found not guilty by mental impairment of beating Courtney Herron to death with a tree branch in a Melbourne park will remain behind bars as he awaits a bed in a psychiatric hospital.
Supreme Court judge Phillip Priest on Monday hoped to place Henry Hammond, 27, on a custodial supervision order for 25 years at Thomas Embling Hospital over the brutal killing of Ms Herron in Royal Park in Parkville on May 25 last year.
But the court heard there were no beds available — and that eight other prisoners were ahead of Hammond in the queue.
Dr Mark Ryan, director of clinical services at Thomas Embling Hospital, told the court he hoped a bed would become available for Hammond within six months.
“We always have a difficult time in terms of beds, and freeing up beds,” Dr Ryan said.
COVID-19 had also caused delays in releasing some people from the hospital, Dr Ryan said.
But he said waiting times had decreased from two years ago when they had more than 20 people on a waiting list with some having to wait up to two years for a bed.
Dr Ryan said it was “a balancing act” to ensure the patients are removed from prison and into the mental health facility “as quickly as possible”.
“We take our responsibility very seriously,” he said.
“I would hope that we aren’t waiting until March. The hope is to get Mr Hammond in well before then.”
Justice Priest adjourned the matter to March next year, but said if a bed became available in the meantime, the court should be notified.
The experienced judge also raised concerns about some suggestions in the public his finding of not guilty by mental impairment meant Hammond would be freed.
“There seems to have been a view compounded that in some way he has been let off the hook,” Justice Priest said.
“I don’t know where that idea came from. It’s completely wrong. Mr Hammond won’t be back into the community any time soon.”
Justice Priest delivered the verdict after hearing from medical experts how Hammond had been suffering symptoms of schizophrenia since at least 2017, and his mental health had relapsed at the time of the attack, meaning he did not know right from wrong.
Hammond had met up with Ms Herron the night before with the pair dining together at Vegiebar on Brunswick St, before they went to a friend’s home to take drugs.
When walking through the park together the next morning, Hammond picked up a tree branch, frightening Ms Herron who asked: “Are you going to kill me?”
Hammond later told police Ms Herron was a reincarnated spirit who had buried his wife alive in a past life, and that the “trees had dropped their branches for a reason … to get his revenge”.
READ MORE:
‘BLATANT THEFT’: FARNSEY’S MANAGER HITS OUT AT PROTESTERS