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A secret report into a psychiatric patient who allegedly murdered a friend, reveals he was released from Auckland District Health Board care despite saying he wanted to kill someone.
Matthew John Ahlquist was last year charged with killing Colin Edward Moyle after being discharged from the board's mental health unit, Te Whetu Tawera.
Police allege he threw boiling water on the 55-year-old, bludgeoned him with a spade and set him alight on the front lawn of Moyle's Auckland home.
Ahlquist, 33, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and is due to appear at the High Court in Auckland in December.
If the court is satisfied he is insane, Ahlquist could be committed to a secure facility instead of standing trial for murder.
The new details about Ahlquist's care have emerged from an external review into mental health services at the ADHB that shows "evidence of unacceptably poor clinical judgment and practice by some medical and nursing staff".
A summary of the scathing report was released in February but the ADHB has twice refused Herald on Sunday requests under the Official Information Act for the full version, prompting a complaint to the Ombudsman.
However, a leaked copy details the circumstances which led to Ahlquist being released. The report reveals Ahlquist had been receiving psychiatric treatment since being diagnosed with schizophrenia, aged 23.
By 2004 he had been identified as having aggressive behaviour towards his parents, and the following year was admitted to Te Whetu Tawera under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act.
During his time at the unit he threatened to kill staff but a psychiatrist discharged him to the care of the homeless team.
By the end of 2006, Ahlquist was transferred to the St Lukes Community Mental Health Centre. The St Lukes psychiatrist, involved with Ahlquist since his treatment began, wanted him to be detained and given anti-psychotic drugs, a diagnosis the homeless team psychiatrist disagreed with.
In March last year Ahlquist was readmitted to Te Whetu Tawera where staff again considered compulsorily detaining him. The report says Ahlquist told staff he wanted to kill somebody but then became guarded, insisting he made the statement because he was "off his head on painkillers".
He was admitted informally but was not diagnosed as being psychotic and was discharged 12 days later after getting drunk in the ward.
Ahlquist's family expressed their anger at the "inappropriate discharge" and a few weeks later, Moyle was dead.
The external review said the Ahlquist incident, and three patient suicides, were caused by "a lack of appropriate leadership in medicine, nursing and management" at Te Whetu Tawera.
The ADHB declined to comment further about Ahlquist because the case was before the courts.
