The family of a man who died following a 12-hour police siege hopes their loss shines a light on the need for more rapid reform of how police deal with mental health incidents.
The 51-year-old man, known by the initials SB, died from self-inflicted chest wounds following a stand-off with police at his mother's home in Bathurst in western NSW on March 13 and 14, 2022.
A coronial inquiry that wrapped up earlier this month found while there was no direct fault in how police handled the situation, more efforts could have been made to consult with SB's mother and sister during the siege.
The report concluded SB was suffering from psychosis and paranoia at the time of his death.
A pilot program in which medical clinicians are tasked to assist police dealing with mental health incidents has faced harsh criticism due to clinicians not attending in circumstances where people are armed.
Last month, Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson said the NSW Health-led Police, Ambulance and Clinical Early Response (PACER) program had been "worthwhile" but was "not up to the task".
In the case of SB, the siege was initiated as he was armed with a large knife and making threats to harm himself.
When police arrived at the Bathurst property about 3.30pm, SB's mother - who was the only other person home - initially told officers to "just go and let me handle this myself".
Instead, they asked the woman to leave the house, which she did and set up a perimeter around the home, eventually calling in negotiators and tactical police.
Prolonged negotiations were made difficult by SB barricading himself inside a bedroom, forcing negotiators to engage him through a window.
The inquiry heard he talked about conspiracy theories, corruption and his delusion regarding his sister, including demands she be charged.
SB's mother and sister raised issue with the fact they had not been able to communicate at all with him from the time police became involved.
"Not only did they have no opportunity to try to talk SB into surrendering, but they also had no opportunity to talk to SB before his passing," Deputy State Coroner David O'Neil stated in the report.
"This is understandably incredibly painful for SB's mother and sister."
One of the reasons for not involving the family members was an apprehended violence order prohibiting SB from contacting them, stemming from an incident close to a year earlier in which he swore at his mother and stood over his sister, making a stabbing motion.
"Whilst I accept the decision of the police not to involve SB's family members as third-party intermediaries, police should have made more substantial efforts to have SB's mother and sister provide them with information about SB," Mr O'Neil said.
"The failure to talk more to SB's mother and to talk at all with SB's sister was a missed opportunity."
