‘Thought I was gonna die’: Neighbours living in fear of NDIS patient who brutally attacked nurse
Katelyn was in her driveway washing her car when she was violently attacked by her neighbour, an NDIS patient.
The emergency nurse walks around with a wrench in her own home wondering when he’ll strike next.
Katelyn was in her driveway washing her car when she was violently attacked by her neighbour, an NDIS patient. A Current Affair
She and other residents on the street don’t blame him but they wonder how the system can let this happen.
“I literally thought I was gonna die. I was terrified. He’s a danger to society and a danger to himself,” she said.
Neighbours want him moved.
“We’re actually scared. We’re living in fear,” Belinda said.
Katelyn said she was lucky to be alive. The 26-year-old nurse was simply washing her car at her Melbourne home earlier this month when the attack, which was caught on camera, unfolded.
She screamed for help and the NDIS patient’s carer tried in vain to make him stop.
The emergency nurse walks around with a wrench in her own home wondering when he'll strike next. A Current Affair
“He could have easily just snapped my neck, could have killed me,” she said.
“I was digging my nails in. I was scratching. I was using every bit of power I had left and I couldn’t and all I could do was scream and I hope that someone would hear me.”
Katelyn’s screams were finally answered. A passing car stopped and three men jumped out to help her.
Police and ambulance were called and the man was accused of attacking the emergency service workers too.
Katelyn said she was left traumatised and hurt.
“I had like a laceration across the top of my nose from being punched in the face,” she said.
“I had big clumps of hair fall out. My neck and my shoulders were so sore from being thrown around.”
Police and ambulance were called and the man was accused of attacking the emergency service workers too. A Current Affair
She had to move in with her parents after the attack as she is too scared to be home alone.
Katelyn’s father, Steve, is angry and wants action.
“You know, the instincts of the dad kicks in, and you just want to protect your daughter, you want to protect your family,” he said.
“You can’t just whack someone in the middle of the suburbs that’s violent, going around smashing and damaging property and assaulting people.
“Does someone have to die before something will be done?”
Katelyn said she was weighing up moving house.
“I carry a wrench around my house in fear that he would smash my window and come attack me again,” she said.
The NDIS patient is a client of provider Sunrise2Sunrise.
He lives alone in a care home, and he has carers around the clock.
Katelyn said she was weighing up moving house. A Current Affair
But even with security fencing, neighbours said he often escaped and caused damage in the street.
One neighbour even claimed to have had their windows broken multiple times and another said they had their garage door headbutted.
In a statement Sunrise2Sunrise told A Current Affair it had “consulted various expert professionals to tailor a Supported Independent Living (SIL) service”.
“After being informed of this incident, we immediately contacted emergency services and implemented relevant protocols in line with government regulations,” the provider said.
Clare Collins, chair of Advocacy Australia said “nobody needs to live like that”.
“Nobody should live like that,” she said.
“People are living in fear of their lives and I fear for Katelyn.”
Clare said the system was broken.
“I think that while we do have empathy for people that suffer from mental health conditions, we also need to be aware that those that are violent need to be off the street. They should not be out in public,” she said.
“The government needs to take responsibility for this and also the supplier that’s providing care for him.”
Police confirmed they intended to charge the man over the incident.
Whether he can legally be held accountable for his actions will be for the courts to decide.
Until a solution is found, Katelyn and the community won’t feel safe.
Statement from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
Providers are required to deliver supports and services safely and competently.
The NDIS Practice Standards require staff to be appropriately trained and supervised to support participants.
This includes putting behaviour support plans in place to reduce and manage behaviours of concern and support safe service delivery.
Registered providers must report certain incidents to the NDIS Commission, enabling the regulator to monitor risks and take action where providers fail to meet their obligations.As a registered NDIS provider, Sunrise2Sunrise was engaged to provide support to the individual beginning in 2022.
In that time, we have consulted various expert professionals to tailor a Supported Independent Living (SIL) service.
After being informed of this incident, we immediately contacted emergency services and implemented relevant protocols in line with government regulations.
As this matter is under police investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
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