A request by an Adelaide prisoner with schizophrenia to move from a high-security jail to a mental health facility could have been a cry for help before he was released and killed an Adelaide mother, an inquest has heard.
State Coroner Naomi Kereru is examining how Jayden Tanee Lowah was free to "roam around" the community while experiencing schizophrenic delusions before he killed mother-of-two Michelle Foster in a random and unprovoked attack.
Mr Lowah beat the 36-year-old to death outside the Colonnades Shopping Centre at Noarlunga in October 2018 – six weeks after being released from Yatala Labour Prison.
The 23-year-old was found not guilty of murder due to his mental incompetence and is being held indefinitely at secure mental health facility James Nash House after being placed on a life-long supervision order.
One of his treating psychiatrists at Yatala Labour Prison, Dr Ian Jennings, was asked whether a request by Mr Lowah to move from the Northfield jail to James Nash House during his prison sentence was an attempt to seek help.
"It certainly may have," Dr Jennings – who worked in the prison system for 28 years – told the inquest.
But the now-retired psychiatrist said it may have also been a manipulation tactic to get out of prison.
The inquest heard Mr Lowah — who admitted experiencing hallucinations, had a history of homicidal delusions and had poor compliance with taking his medication — was not moved to James Nash House during his prison sentence.
Dr Jennings found Mr Lowah had "no underlying psychotic illness" but behavioural problems when he later sought to be moved from E-division to G-division — or solitary confinement — because he had "issues with every other prisoner".
He admitted it was possible his repeated requests to be isolated could have been due to psychosis.
Tom Simpson, counsel for the Correctional Services Department, asked Dr Jennings about a note he made in March 2018 where Mr Lowah stated: "I like G div (sic) – if I hurt someone you have to send me there don't you?"
Mr Simpson asked him how he "approached a statement like that".
"This is one of the most difficult decisions — first you have to decide if it's from a psychotic state or from a manipulative state," Dr Jennings said.
"I didn't have any real concerns with Mr Lowah, but you do have to assess these threats — how real is this threat, is it a flippant throwaway line or is there something more substantial in his threats?
"That's not an easy call."
Manipulation of staff
Dr Jennings told the inquest that prisoners often used their history of mental illness to manipulate doctors into getting what they wanted.
The inquest heard Mr Lowah did assault another prisoner in an unprovoked attack and was moved to G-division.
Dr Jennings told the inquest he found Mr Lowah's schizophrenia was "stable" in September 2018.
He was then placed on a community supervision order upon discharge from prison.
He said "revolving door admissions" were common for people suffering from a major mental illness where they come in psychotic, were managed, discharged, and something triggered another episode.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Peter Longson, asked Dr Jennings how many times in his 40-year career one of the prisoners he had treated had been released and killed someone within weeks.
Dr Jennings responded: "I don't think I can remember that happening before, but Mr Lowah's presentation at my clinic at Yatala was not an uncommon presentation."
