ONTD Political

Man who killed his wife cleared to drive taxis in Victoria

11:04 am - 07/29/2010
A wife-killer, who was found not guilty on grounds of insanity, has won his latest bid to drive a taxi on Melbourne's streets.

But the man, who stabbed his wife to death while suffering depression, won't be collecting fares just yet as another appeal is being sought against him being given a licence, the Herald Sun reports.

The Director of Public Transport refused to grant the man, who was found not guilty of murder due to mental impairment, a taxi licence in 2008 after he was released from court-ordered treatment and supervision.

But VCAT overruled them, saying the man had become a person of good character since the killing of his wife in 1990 and was now a suitable candidate for driving a cab.

The Director's appeal to the Supreme Court to stop the man driving a taxi today failed, with Justice Iain Ross agreeing with the VCAT decision.

The Supreme Court heard the man was yet to complete several required driving and training courses before he can be licensed.

The Director had argued VCAT didn't consider the issue of public confidence in the public transport system or community expectations in letting the man drive taxis.

Court orders prevent the man's identity from being known.

Source
ipromiseuiwill 29th-Jul-2010 03:13 pm (UTC)
Places I won't be hailing a taxi, check.
kohii_temple 29th-Jul-2010 03:21 pm (UTC)
"The Supreme Court heard the man was yet to complete several required driving and training courses before he can be licensed."

I hope they instead meant 900 million hours of counselling and therapy before being allowed contact with the public again.
popehippo 29th-Jul-2010 03:24 pm (UTC)
dreamoftheday 29th-Jul-2010 03:27 pm (UTC)
I just...wow.
saramiskismet 29th-Jul-2010 03:29 pm (UTC)
If he KILLED someone because of mental impairment, how does it make sense to put him in a car with tons of strangers every day?
lesket 29th-Jul-2010 03:49 pm (UTC)
That mental impairment is apparently depression, and that isn't necessarily a good enough reason to keep him away from the general public.
dwer 29th-Jul-2010 03:37 pm (UTC)
so a guy who is found not guilty of the crime and gone through treatment isn't allowed to get a job to earn a living?

Certainly, make him take the training courses, but "public confidence" isn't an issue, and shouldn't be brought up.
brewsternorth 29th-Jul-2010 03:47 pm (UTC)
Point. There's a lot of ableism about mental illness going around. Yes, it's true that he *did* commit a violent crime, and that he was only cleared by reason of insanity. However. If they can be certain that he will not reoffend (that *is* an if; presumably there will be ongoing checkups and whatnot), it makes sense that he should be allowed to try to contribute to society again.
lesket 29th-Jul-2010 03:38 pm (UTC)
This post is going to be full of people panicking for no good reason, isn't it.
outofthegarden 29th-Jul-2010 06:01 pm (UTC)
Realistically the article itself is about people panicking for no good reason. Beyond just the fact that there's a considerable stigma attached to mental illness in society, articles like this, which, although citing all the VCAT's reasons for not preventing him from doing so, is still pretty heavily biased against the guy, aren't helping matters any.

A wife-killer, who was found not guilty on grounds of insanity, has won his latest bid to drive a taxi on Melbourne's streets. Sensationalist if I've ever heard it. This man isn't even being regarded as a man; he's a 'wife-killer.' I can't put my finger on just why the latter third of the sentence (as dictated by the appositive) rubs me wrong, but there's something about it that continues the menacing tone of introducing this man as a 'wife-killer.'

Mind, I'm not saying that it's right or that I condone it, but the aim of this article is NOT just to report the news. The tone is very much leaning toward inciting precisely the kind of frenzy that it has.
juliet316 29th-Jul-2010 03:42 pm (UTC)
WTF Hell?! Sorry, somebody who's admitted to killing his wife is NOT somebody I would want driving me ANYWHERE!
dwer 29th-Jul-2010 04:44 pm (UTC)
do you do background checks on the bus, train and taxi drivers when using public transportation?

No?

Then how the fuck do you know WHAT they've done? Maybe they beat their children. Maybe they steal office supplies. Maybe they run drugs.

It's better to make sure all those not-right-minded people are simply put to death, AMIRITE?
bagelofdeath 29th-Jul-2010 03:51 pm (UTC)
That seems weird to me unless you live in a relatively small town or city or there's 24-hour public transit. But we have 24-hour public transit and sometimes I just want to take a cab.
popehippo 29th-Jul-2010 03:52 pm (UTC)
I've only ever been in one once. O_o
ghost_busting 29th-Jul-2010 04:11 pm (UTC)
This crime was committed 20 years ago, I'm sure in that time he's been properly treated for what I'm gonna presume was pretty severe depression in that time and is now perfectly capable of being around other members of the public and being responsible for their safety, so I don't really have a problem with it.
lesket more info about this case, if you're interested29th-Jul-2010 04:11 pm (UTC)
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2008/2303.html

Dr Kenny noted that for a period of 14 years XFJ has been symptom free. He continued:

Considering the whole picture, he is probably no more likely to have another episode of depression than does anybody else in the community.
yunghustlaz 29th-Jul-2010 04:12 pm (UTC)
The Director of Public Transport refused to grant the man, who was found not guilty of murder due to mental impairment, a taxi licence in 2008 after he was released from court-ordered treatment and supervision.

Arguably, this guy has been through what seems to be at least 15 years of treatment and rehabilitation. Please, chill it with the sensationalism, sometimes people are helped by the system and reintegrate with the rest of the public.
ghost_busting 29th-Jul-2010 04:14 pm (UTC)
mte. I have a feeling most people only read the headline and not the actual article.
goblinthebamf 29th-Jul-2010 04:17 pm (UTC)
I can't imagine anything quite as horrifying as coming back from a mental break and realizing that I hurt someone.

he's been in treatment for 15 years, I'm pretty sure he and his therapists understand his limits better than we do.
pandaseal 29th-Jul-2010 04:44 pm (UTC)
Hurting someone is my biggest worry, too.

I'm petty sure the man is unlikely to kill someone again. It's not like this was a killing spree. What's the point in not leaving people locked up for ever if we aren't going to let them rejoin society?
noelrunes 29th-Jul-2010 04:36 pm (UTC)
hey guys can you make sure that this dude is rly a serial killer?
lafinjack 29th-Jul-2010 04:58 pm (UTC)
Now if only we could get even more people in prison rehabilitated and back into society.

Now if only we could get even more people into the mental health system to prevent stories like this.

But ha ha, this is America, what am I thinking.
notgarystu 29th-Jul-2010 08:20 pm (UTC)
Christ, even I found myself jumping a bit when I read the first sentence. This article sucks, leave the guy alone.
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