Parents angry after killer's night out
13.10.1997



By: PARNELL S

THE parents of a woman strangled by her ex-boyfriend demanded an immediate explanation yesterday after learning he had escaped during a night at the cinema.
Confessed killer Ross Farrah was on the run for three hours on Saturday night after escaping from nurses during an outing to a suburban Brisbane cinema .
Farrah, 27, has been held the John Oxley Memorial Hospital since 1995 when he strangled Christine Nash, after kicking her more than 20 times in the face.
Farrah confessed but the Mental Health Tribunal ruled he could not stand trial because he was of unsound mind at the time.
Ms Nash's parents, Ron and Patricia, demanded an explanation of how a confessed killer could go to the movies.
Mrs Nash had asked the hospital to notify them if Farrah was ever on the loose. But Mr Nash said the family first learned of the escape from The Courier-Mail yesterday.
``Why has he got to be out anywhere, he's a murderer,'' Mr Nash said. ``What's the use of having any courts or any judicial system when killers like this can be allowed to have it easy in a psych hospital?''
Two nurses from the psychiatric hospital, at Wacol, took Farrah and another patient to a movie at a Sunnybank cinema on Saturday.
West Moreton district health service manager Mark Waters confirmed Farrah ``did a runner'' from the nurses about 8.30pm but was recaptured by police on the Gold Coast three hours later.
Health Minister Mike Horan said he was ``extremely concerned'' by the incident, which had strengthened his resolve to overhaul the Mental Health and Patient Review tribunals.
Farrah had gone to Robina to visit his father, former police superintendent Cal Farrah, who alerted police.
Continued Page 2 Parents angry over killer's escape Dr Waters said he could not comment on how Farrah made the journey.
He said the outing was designed as part of Farrah's rehabilitation from paranoid schizophrenia.
``He's a psychiatric patient _ he's not in prison _ and he's getting treatment,'' Dr Waters said.
``It is consistent with the findings of the Patient Review Tribunal.''
Mr Horan said he hoped Ms Nash's parents understood his commitment to improving the mental health system.
``I'm extremely concerned that the system is such that people don't go through the justice system when maybe they should have,'' he said.
``I just don't think it's fair on the (victim's) family or the community.''
Mr Horan said officials from the Health and Justice Departments were planning an overhaul of the Mental Health Tribunal, which placed Farrah at the hospital, and the Patient Review Tribunal, which gave his psychiatrist the authority to allow such outings.
Mr Horan said the tribunals needed to be ``seriously toughened up'' and members of the community given more say.
``My greatest concern is the safety of the community,'' he said. ``People are just scratching their heads in amazement that in a relatively short period of time there can be these sorts of leave.''
Sgt Hellmuth Matthes of Broadbeach said Farrah had been listed as violent and possibly dangerous but surrendered without incident.
Farrah's mother, Yvonne, said ``no-one was hurt, no-one was harmed, he just wanted to see his dad''.
``I know he shouldn't have done it but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.''
Mrs Farrah said she contacted police on Saturday night and appealed to them not to inform the media, fearing it might affect his rehabilitation.
Mrs Farrah said her son had been on escorted leave before without incident, but now believed he would be the ``test case'' for legislation changes.
Farrah was taken to the Southport Hospital on Saturday night before being returned to the John Oxley Hospital.