Stabbing drama man had mental health record

The man shot by police during a stabbing carnage in West Auckland on Monday has been a mental health patient for 13 years, it was revealed today.

The 31-year-old man was shot three times after he went on a lunchtime rampage with a knife in Henderson on Monday stabbing two people, one fatally.

The man was earlier reported to be wandering around the area drinking, possibly from a bottle of spirits, before he stabbed Robert Norcross in his fishing shop and moved outside where Kevan Bruce Newman, 65, was also stabbed.

Mr Newman died in an ambulance on the way to hospital and Mr Norcross was seriously hurt with stab wounds to his abdomen, hand and shoulder.

The knifeman was shot three times by police when he refused an order to drop his knife.

As he continued to advance on police he was tackled by Waitemata City Council parking warden Pes Fa'aui and subdued.

The man has been charged with assault and may face further charges today.

Today Waitemata District Health Board revealed that he had been treated for mental health problems for the past 13 years.

A top level inquiry was now underway to find out if what happened could have been prevented.

The revelation has infuriated Waitakere mayor Bob Harvey who said the number of mental health patients who were walking the streets was a "big issue".

The man was living in the community but was seen by mental health workers on Sunday and had agreed to see them again yesterday, the day after the attack.

Mr Harvey said too many mental patients were walking the streets and the man had fallen through the cracks.

"This is a daily, hourly thing that happens. You walk down Courtenay Place (in Wellington) and Queen Street (Auckland) and there are people that you think: 'Yeah, what is wrong with that guy.'

"They are there everywhere in the community but they are not carrying knives or axes.

"They are under medication but I have to ask the the question: 'Are they being monitored?' That is the danger," Mr Harvey said.

He said it was the latest in a series of tragic incidents in West Auckland where mental health patients had been allowed to stay in the community and commit crimes of violence, sometimes resulting in death.

The health board's chief executive Dr Dwayne Crombie said it was a "silly statement" from Mr Harvey.

He said there was nothing in the man's assessment which indicated he would get violent although his condition was deteriorating.

Dr Crombie said said experienced mental health staff had made a detailed assessment of the man.

"There is nothing in this man's history that seems to suggest he would commit this sort of crime or that he was even expressing a desire to commit this sort of crime.

"There is nothing that is obvious to us that you could have picked this one."

He said not all mental health patients could be locked up and allowing patients to stay in the community was a risk the community had to take.

In an earlier statement he said the most significant concern throughout all his contact had been the man's ability to care for himself.

The incident appeared to be a "bizarre and unexpected occurrence, totally out of this person's character", he said.

Dr Crombie said the health board was committed to investigating the contact mental health services had with the man to determine the relevance to the incident in Henderson on Monday.

Dr Crombie said it was a "big issue" for mental health workers to make sure patients in the community took their medication.

He said some patients could be convinced to take long lasting injections but with others staff often went out to monitor them when they took their medication.

That was "hugely time consuming" and could not be done every day with every patient.

"You have to make choices, You try and pick the ones you think are most at risk or are more likely not to comply."

He said other patients mixed alcohol and illegal drugs such as methamphetamines or cannabis, with their prescribed drugs.

"That does tend to cause people to do things they shouldn't be doing," Dr Crombie said.

He said the staff who saw the knifeman on Sunday were concerned about his welfare but did not think he "needed to be committed on the spot".

"Their level of concern was such that they organised him to be followed up by his case manager on the Monday.

"They felt he was starting to get gradually unwell. They have known about him for a long time.

Dr Crombie said it was not known what triggered off the attack.

- NZPA