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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-12-02 Daily Xml
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MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES

The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON (14:53): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse a question about mental health practices.

Leave granted.

The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON: I was recently contacted by a concerned resident of the north-eastern suburbs whose wife was the victim of a traumatising car-jacking whilst driving her five-year-old son to school on 22 June last year. A blood-soaked man claiming to have a gun opened the passenger door outside the St Agnes shopping centre and jumped in, ordering her to drive. What followed was a terrifying ordeal for this woman and her young son, both of whom were finally rescued in the Adelaide CBD. I have been informed by the resident that this man had stabbed a friend and threatened an elderly man shortly before the car-jacking. I have also been informed that he allegedly has an acute amphetamine addiction and was released from Glenside shortly before the incident took place.

The resident also told me that this person is being held at the Remand Centre, after being apprehended by police. It was reported in the Sunday Mail on 16 November this year that the attacker was found in court to be not guilty of charges of aggravated assault, two counts of false imprisonment and threatening to cause harm due to mental incompetence. It was not noted in the article that a psychiatrist agreed in court that the attacker was suffering paranoid delusions at the time. My questions to the minister are:

1. What risk assessment was undertaken before this man was released from Glenside mental health facility?

2. What medications, if any, were prescribed for his mental illness, and what follow-up treatment was offered before his release?

3. If this person has severe paranoid delusions, why is he now being held in remand rather than in a mental health facility?

4. What treatment and ongoing support did he receive for his acute amphetamine addiction?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (14:54): I will refer the honourable member's questions to the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse in another place and bring back a response.

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