Peko Lakovski killed inside Thomas Embling but walks free amid fears over Courtney Herron murderer
The brutal killer of Melbourne woman Courtney Herron isn’t the first and won’t be the last murderer to be secretly allowed freedom from a notorious mental hospital.
Triple killer Peko Lakovski was allowed out of Thomas Embling Hospital in Melbourne despite murdering two fellow patients after a fishing trip on day release.
His release last year was largely ignored despite calls from the state opposition imploring Premier Daniel Andrews‘ government to take immediate action.
Peko Lakovski killed his wife, then two Thomas Embling patients. Last year he was allowed back into the community on day release
Henry Hammond, a 27-year-old homeless man, bashed Courtney so savagely in May 2019 that the mortician could not put her broken body back together
Courtney Herron was killed in cold blood by Henry Hammond, who was found not guilty on grounds of mental impairment and sent to Thomas Embling Hospital for what ‘could’ be the next 25 years
Deputy Premier and then Minister for Mental Health James Merlino dismissed criticism during Question Time when the matter was raised.
‘Decisions to grant leave to forensic patients and residents are made independently of government by the Forensic Leave Panel,’ he said at the time.
‘The panel takes a very cautious approach to granting leave. There are strict conditions attached to leave, which are closely monitored.’
Mr Merlino, who announced he will retire after November’s election, claimed it was ‘ very rare’ that incidents occur while forensic patients are on leave granted by the panel.
His comments came just weeks after his staff were told a detailed Catalyst Consortium study in October 2020 indicated that more than 20 per cent of people offended again following conditional release or absolute discharge to the community from Thomas Embling.
Lakovski had been placed in Thomas Embling in 2002 after he butchered his wife and seriously injuring his father-in-law.
In 2009, he struck again, killing fellow patients Paul Notas, 36, and Raymond Splatt, 54 with a carving knife.
It was later revealed Lakovski had been on a pre-release program, with unescorted leave 738 times.
John Herron clutches a photo of his precious daughter Courtney. He is furious Hammond could soon be out of hospital on supervised day trips
Former health minister James Merlino made excuses for the reasons killers are allowed back on the streets
Despite being found mentally unfit again to face justice, and handed another 25 year supervision order, Lakovski was allowed back out onto the streets on secret supervised visits.
On the day of his murderous rampage, Lakovski had been out fishing with Splatt along the Yarra River, which sits just a stone’s throw from Thomas Embling in Fairfield.
His return to Thomas Embling even after his murderous rampage there even disgusted staff members.
His release yet again years later appalled at least some within Thomas Embling, the Herald Sun reported at the time.
‘I have major concerns for the staff at Thomas Embling Hospital and the community,’ a source said. ‘When he snaps, people die.’
Daily Mail Australia has been told long suffering family members of the killer live in fear that he will one day return to torment them without warning.
In 2009, Coroner Ian Gray made a series of recommendations to authorities, including one that suggested the views of ‘families, friends and carers’ have a say in a patient’s treatment and release.
However he made no recommendations on the views of victims.
On Tuesday, Daily Mail Australia revealed Thomas Embling Hospital doctors wanted to allow Ms Herron’s killer Henry Hammond out on supervised leave with a view to fast-tracking his release back into the community.
Hammond bashed his victim so savagely in May 2019 that the mortician could not put her broken body back together.
Henry Hammond, a 27-year-old homeless man, bashed Courtney so savagely in May 2019 that the mortician could not put her broken body back together
Thomas Embling Hospital houses some of the most violent criminals in the state
A spokesperson for Forensicare – Victoria’s Institute of Forensic Mental Health – refused to comment on a swag of questions put to it by Daily Mail Australia.
Instead, it provided a lengthy statement justifying the way it deals with killers under its care.
Ms Herron’s father, criminal lawyer John Herron, lashed out at the secret plans to release his daughter’s killer on day release.
In March 2020, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Phillip Priest told Hammond he would be moved from Port Phillip Prison to Thomas Embling Hospital for what ‘could’ be the next 25 years.
‘I have only just discovered (and not officially) that Courtney’s killer is being prepared for imminent supervised day release,’ Mr Herron told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.
‘This doesn’t occur if a prisoner on a supervised order is to serve a nominal 25 year order, as said by the sentencing judge … Victoria is all about the perpetrator – there is no protection for victims and a dangerous place for young women. The Andrews regime simply doesn’t care.’
Daily Mail Australia can reveal patients from Thomas Embling are routinely allowed out both with and without supervision.
Thomas Embling psychiatrists make no secret to Victorian courts that they believe releasing killers back into the community is in the best interests of their rehabilitation.
However, most Victorian judges believe telling the community – or the killers’ victims – about such initiatives is not in the killer’s best interest and therefore suppress any trace of it ever happening.
Masa Vukotic was just 17 when Sean Christian Price brutally murdered her. Price had been on a supervision order that allowed him to live free in the community after he was kicked out of a psychiatric facility
Sean Price was allowed to walk free despite it being well known that he was a violent and mentally unwell man. He brutally murdered 17-year old Masa Vakotic
Daily Mail Australia is aware of at least one savage killer found not guilty of murder by way of mental impairment in recent times already allowed back into the community on supervised day release.
Situated in Fairfield across the road from magnificent parkland and the Yarra River, criminally insane patients from Thomas Embling are sometimes known to gather both there and a nearby cafe.
Over the years, a who’s who of Victoria’s most violent men have been allowed back into the community from Victorian psychiatric facilities either on supervised day trips, unsupervised trips or released altogether after committing some of the state’s most horrific murders.
Known villains include a man who ate portions of his victim, a paedophile witch and notorious killer Sean Christian Price.
Price was free to murder after being kicked out of Corella Place – he notorious Village of the Damned – and placed on a 10 year supervision order that allowed him to roam free.
‘I just f**king had to kill her, man. I f**king had to kill her,’ Price told police – detailing the exact moment when he decided to savagely murder 17-year-old Masa Vukotic.
On March 18, 2016 Justice Lasry sentenced him to life in prison with a non-parole period of 38 years.
A psychiatric report at the time found while Price was mentally ill and had a personality disorder, he was not mentally impaired.
On Wednesday, Karl Stefanovic said he ‘feels sick’ about the prospect of a Cortney Herron’s killer walking free a little over a year after he was sent to Thomas Embling.
‘Can I tell you I don’t want to see his face, it makes me sick,’ Stefanovic told Mr Herron.
‘I am shocked this could take place and if it was my child I don’t know what I would do.’
