Leayner mum Sheena Fairfield’s alleged murderer Joerg Kloepper held as involuntary patient ahead of trial

The alleged murderer of Darwin mother Sheena Fairfield is being held as a involuntary psychiatric patient in hospital just 20 days out from his Supreme Court trial.

Joerg Kloepper faced court for the first time after being charged with the murder of Leanyer mother Sheena Fairfield.

A gardener who allegedly repeatedly stabbed a Darwin mother and left her to bleed out in her own yard has spent the past four months as an involuntary psychiatric patient.

Joerg Kloepper was charged with the murder of 39-year-old Leanyer mother and business owner Sheena Fairfield on November 10, 2022.

The Supreme Court has previously heard allegations that her five-year-old daughter hid under a blanket as her mother was repeatedly stabbed.

With 20 days to go until the anticipated May 12 start of his murder trial, his defence lawyer Ambrith Abayasekara has questioned the 58-year-old’s fitness to stand trial.

The woman killed in a suspected homicide at Leanyer has been identified as Sheena Fairfield. Picture: Supplied

On Wednesday Mr Abayasekara said the alleged murderer had been held as an involuntary patient at the Joan Ridley Unit, in Royal Darwin Hospital for the past four months.

“He’s been imprisoned on remand. For the most part of it he has been at the prison itself, but from the start of this year he’s been in JRU,” he said.

“There’s indications that he’s been improving, but he remains an involuntary patient.”

The 58-year-old has previously indicated that he will enter a not guilty plea by reason of mental impairment, as he had been diagnosed with depression.

Under the NT Criminal Code a person can be found not guilty if they did not know the nature and quality of their conduct, did not know the conduct was wrong or were “not able to control his or her actions.”

Mr Abayasekara said his client’s current mental health brought into question the 58-year-old’s fitness to plead.

He said Mr Kloepper had met twice with psychiatrists this week, with their report yet to be finalised.

Justice Stephen Southwood adjourned the hearing to May 2 for a further pre-trial hearing to assess the new psychiatric reports.