A SUPREME court judge has recommended that the Alexander Bayne Centre review its release policy after a woman who stabbed her violent partner to death was released into his care the day before the killing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Veronica Hudson was yesterday sentenced to six years jail with a non-parole period of three years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Edward Heron at the Bendigo showgrounds on December 26, 2011.
The court was told Hudson’s life was a horror story and she had suffered at the hands of Heron for many years.
In 2006, Heron was jailed for five years for an assault on Hudson in which he punched her to the ground, jumped repeatedly on her head and left her on the ground with a broken jaw and other wounds until the following day.
On his release from jail, Heron immediately located Hudson, who returned to him out of a combination of love, fear, lack of choices and hopelessness.
Justice Betty King yesterday told the court that three days before the killing, Hudson was taken to Bendigo hospital and later transferred to the ABC Centre for psychiatric treatment.
“You had been taken to the hospital with your throat cut from ear to ear, although not deeply,’’ Justice King said.
“It would appear that the deceased man may have been responsible for the infliction of that injury.
“When you were in a position to say to people who had done this to you without there being police around or the deceased man around, you indicated that he had inflicted this injury upon you.
“When he was around or the police asked you if he had inflicted that upon you, you would state that it was self-inflicted.
“You told those involved in your care at the Alexander Bayne Centre that it was the deceased Edward Heron who had cut your throat.”
Justice King said Hudson was involuntarily held at the centre for two days “before being released into the custody of the deceased man the day before he died’’.
Justice King said she found it extraordinary that a person, “no matter how persuasive, articulate or personable they may be, could persuade a psychiatric unit to release an exceedingly vulnerable, damaged woman into his care.
“If that did occur in the manner indicated it would merit a good examination of the policy operating at that unit to ensure that there is not such a repeat of a mistake like that again.
“You returned home, the drinking commenced, and ultimately the deceased died in the manner I have outlined. “
A spokesman for Bendigo Health was unavailable for comment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related coverage:
Editorial: Still much to learn about gender equality
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
