An elderly mental health patient who murdered a pensioner at her Christchurch home says he’s “extremely sorry that I’ve done what I did”, but does not recall doing it.

It can now be revealed he had made threats to kill over the last decade if required to leave Hillmorton Hospital.

Elliot Cameron was sentenced in the High Court at Christchurch on Tuesday by Justice Rachel Dunningham for life imprisonment, with a minimum period of 10 years for murdering 83-year-old Frances Anne Phelps, known as Faye, in October 4 last year.

RNZ earlier revealed that Phelps and other residents who had the 76-year-old do their gardens on Mt Pleasant for about a decade, did not know he was a mental health patient who had been living at Hillmorton Hospital for many years.

Before sentencing began Cameron told Justice Dunningham he “didn’t intend doing that, I just don’t know what happened”.

“I’m very, very sorry and Karen Phelps the daughter of Faye Phelps said what I did was very out of character and that is true I think.”

At sentencing the summary of facts detailing what Cameron did was released for the first time.

The summary said Cameron had been the gardener for Phelps’ neighbour for over 10 years.

After her husband died in 2022, Cameron continued to help with Phelps’ garden on a casual basis.

Cameron first came to the attention of Mental Health Services in 1968 after a brain injury thought to have arisen following surgery as a teenager.

His special patient status ended many years ago, however he remained residing at Hillmorton Hospital. As at 2024, there were no court orders or other legal requirements compelling him to remain nor was he under treatment.

Accordingly, there was no lawful impediment to Cameron leaving and living elsewhere. He resided within the mental health system since 1975.

Since 2016, Cameron had been a voluntary patient, chosen not to self-discharge, and basically refused to leave Hillmorton Hospital despite efforts made to move him.

Because of his voluntary status, he was free to come and go from the hospital most days using public transport and riding his bike.

There had been discussion about him moving. However, over the last decade Cameron had made threats to kill if required to leave Hillmorton Hospital.

In December 2022, he told nursing staff he would be “hard to ignore if he was chopping up bodies” and continued threats over the next couple of months to kill people if discharged from hospital.

In July 2024 he threatened “disastrous measures” if he was discharged.

On September 30, 2024 Cameron was doing gardening work for Phelps’ neighbour. He called in at her house and asked whether she would like any gardening done.

Over the next week Phelps and the defendant exchanged emails, and it was arranged he would come that Friday.

During this time, Hillmorton Hospital staff were assisting him to reduce some of his belongings that he had accumulated at the hospital. Hospital notes recorded he was anxious regarding his immediate future.

On October 4, 2024 Cameron left the hospital at 8.50am after breakfast. He walked to the bus stop on Annex Rd and caught the bus to Mt Pleasant getting off at the stop directly opposite Phelps’ driveway at 10.07am.

Cameron met Phelps at the garage door which Phelps had opened.

From inside the garage Cameron retrieved a small axe that he had previously used in the garden.

He then struck Phelps in the head with an axe multiple times, causing fatal injuries.

He then left her and walked to the bus stop and caught a bus back to Annex Rd. He arrived back at the hospital at 12.17pm.

About 1.30pm a hospital staff member suggested to Cameron that a box of bike parts could be removed from his room in response to which he threatened to “kick her head in”.

About 4pm, he disclosed to two separate nurses that between 10am and 10.30am he had assaulted a woman on the corner of Mt Pleasant and Bellview Ave with an axe and to call police.

The nurses reported his comments to police communications at 4.36pm, however due to a number of factors this was not taken further.

About 4.55pm on 7 October, Phelps’ lawnmower man found her dead lying on the steps beside the garage door. He called emergency services.

When spoken to by police, Cameron said he went to Phelps’ home as he occasionally did.

He said that when he arrived, he saw she had been injured and left the property as he didn’t want to be blamed for the injuries.

‘Indescribably traumatic’

Phelps’ daughter Karen Phelps wrote a victim impact statement for sentencing. She was not in court, but gave a copy of her statement to RNZ.

“The effect on our family of losing Faye in such a violent and sudden way has been indescribably traumatic,” she said.

Her mother was a “kind and generous soul” who was loved and treasured by all who met her.

“It seems unfathomable that she would suffer such an awful death. It still feels surreal and is hard to get my head around what’s happened.

“You read about things like this in the newspaper but you never think it will happen to your family. I was really close to my mum. She wasn’t just my mother; she was also my friend. It’s incredibly painful that I will never see her again.”

Karen Phelps said counselling had been “helpful,” but there were still a lot of emotions and it would take a long time to process what had happened.

“I’m haunted by visions of the way she died, her lying alone for days before she was discovered and all the aftermath I have had to deal with. At times I’ve had trouble eating and functioning on even a basic level.

“I’ve had to take time off work and it’s made me hesitant to socialise as wherever I go somebody will say something about what’s happened to Mum. My life will never be the same again.”

She said her family “trusted” Cameron, and had known him for over a decade.

“It is particularly astounding he was allowed to do gardening for an elderly woman widower. Mum’s death is a tragedy for us but also for Elliot and his family,” she said.

“The greatest tragedy is that I believe mum’s death was preventable if Elliot had received the care he wanted and needed.”

She believed Cameron needed to be held in a secure facility for the rest of his life, so he could get the support he needed to keep both him and the public safe.

“No matter what his age, he could be a threat. It would certainly make me feel anxious if he was ever out in the public again as it would others in the community.”

She ended her statement by saying Faye Phelps was a “fit 83-year-old” who “had a lot of life to live”.

“She was an introvert, happy to mainly be at home, which is why it is ironic that her death has been so public. Mum would have hated all the attention.

“I’d like her to be remembered as a giving, kind hearted, compassionate Christian woman who always thought of others before herself. She had a strong inner character. I learned a lot from her and really admired her as did so many others. I will miss her forever but I am eternally grateful that she was my mum.”

‘Completely unexpected’

Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes said a life sentence should be imposed.

He said there were aggravating factors including Phelps’ particular vulnerability such as her age and she was living alone. Cameron was known to her and the attack would’ve been “entirely completely unexpected”.

There was a use of a weapon and that was picked up by Cameron at the property itself.

The matter of premeditation given some comments made which indicated a degree of contemplation that something was going to happen.

Acknowledged his guilty plea.

An appropriate minimum term of imprisonment was 12 to 13 years with a discount for his guilty plea.

Cameron’s lawyer, Craig Ruane said he acknowledged a sentence of life imprisonment was appropriate and a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years was appropriate.

He submitted that there was no suggestion he put previous threats into effect in the past.

It appeared to be a “spontaneous act”.

He had a “long history of mental illness”.

Justice Rachel Dunningham said Cameron suffered from a “persistent personality disturbance”.

Reports noted there was no treatment for his condition.

He also had a “high-level of intellectual functioning”, with an above average intelligence.

She said there was “some inconsistency” of what he recollected.

She said he had not shown any level of remorse for his actions, until just before sentencing.

His apology was “too little too late,” Justice Dunningham said.

“You knowingly killed a vulnerable woman without any provocation from her. You’ve shown no real remorse for doing so.”

Any sympathy regarding his brain injury was offset by the “clear danger” he posed to the community.

She said there were several aggravating factors including that Phelps lived alone and did nothing to provoke the attack.

Review under way

Karen Phelps earlier told RNZ she was shocked when she was told by police that Cameron had been living at Hillmorton Hospital and that her family, and others who also employed him, were not told.

She understood the need for privacy, but did not think it was appropriate for him to be out in the public in an unmonitored way doing gardening.

She wants an inquiry into her mother’s death and wants to know if Cameron was getting adequate support for his mental health and whether gaps in his support put the public at risk.

Three years ago, in June 2022, Hillmorton Hospital forensic mental health patient Zakariye Mohamed Hussein stabbed Laisa Waka Tunidau to death as she walked home from work. Hussein was on community leave at the time of the killing.

RNZ earlier revealed another case involving a man who was made a special patient under the Mental Health Act after his first killing was recently found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity for a second time, after killing someone he believed was possessed.

Health New Zealand deputy chief executive Te Waipounamu Martin Keogh earlier told RNZ an independent review was underway.

The findings and recommendations would be shared with the family, Keogh said.

“We acknowledge that this has taken longer than the family, or we, would like and apologise for this. While we endeavour to keep within our estimated timeframe, sometimes complex cases need more time to allow a thorough and robust review to be conducted, particularly when it sits with an independent panel.

“To keep the family informed of the review timing, we provided an update through their police liaison. We continue to provide further updates, information, or answer any question they may have, through the police liaison as needed.”

Source: RNZ