The victim had recently been in a mental health unit in Whangārei as part of a compulsory treatment order and was in custody after breaching bail, and the murder-accused had a history with mental health services.
Fitzpatrick’s father told RNZ his son was jailed in relation to breaching the conditions of a restraining order. He was eventually released and spent two weeks in a mental health facility in Whangārei before he was granted electronically-monitored bail to an apartment.
He said that while at the mental health facility his son’s medication was changed and he was “making good progress”.
However, he breached his conditions again and was arrested, spending three days in Northland Region Corrections Facility before being moved to Mt Eden.
The victim’s father had been told the alleged killer had a history with mental health services. He wants to know why the two men were placed in the same cell.
“It was a complete failure of the duty of care to my son.”
He said his son was a “good sportsman” growing up, but struggled holding down a job as he got older because of his mental health.
“But we were hoping that with the new treatment he had, that he might improve there. It was just his mental health which held him back.”
He believed his son’s mental health problems were “treatable”.
The killing came nine months after Andrew Chan Chui died at the prison. A 23-year-old inmate, who shared a double-bunk cell with Chan Chui, has been charged with murdering him.
– RNZ
