With AAP.
Photos of Henry Richard Hammond just a few years ago show a handsome, clean-shaven, normal young man.
Privately educated at Oxford Falls Grammar School and from a good family, his profile is littered with his gorgeous young sons and his smiling fiancé.
“Congratulations Henry, you’re an amazing dad,” wrote his friends.
The 27-year-old was a barber, and regularly offered his friends discounts online to make their chop cheaper.
He played the saxophone and liked knitting.
He looked happy, normal, in love.
But gradually, a different image of Hammond emerged online.
Dishevelled, sitting in gutters smoking cigarettes, and posting manic scary photos.
Over the years, he also posted sporadic links to articles about marijuana, magic mushrooms’ healing properties, and petitions for cannabis for medicinal use.
The strange online presence became more frequent in 2017.
His friends noticed his changing appearance.
“Henry that is so weird.”
“What happened to the barber in you Henry?”
That Facebook profile hasn’t been touched since August 2018.
In April 2019, a new one emerged with Nordic mythology symbols and an even more dishevelled photo of Hammond.
“I was fertilized and grew wise; From a word to a word I was led to a word,” reads his bio.
‘Single’ reads his relationship status.
A third profile was created in May.
All three remain live, a strange progression that shows a man whose life was unravelling.
A man who is accused of murdering 25-year-old Courtney Herron in a Melbourne park last Friday night, or Saturday morning.
Courtney's body was found by dog walkers in the city's inner north.
She'd been the victim of a "horrendous bashing," Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper told the Herald Sun.
Women and violence: the hidden numbers. Post continues after video.
The court heard Hammond is also homeless.
He appeared in court shoeless and with a black eye, and was told his case would be adjourned for four months so he could be assessed.
His lawyer told the court he had a number of mental health issues; possible delusional disorder, possible autism spectrum disorder, and historical diagnosis of ADHD.
Bernie Balmer wanted it known this would affect his time in custody.
"It's a tragic and complex situation," Balmer told AAP.
Friends of Hammond told The Age they've avoided him for the past few years.
His lifestyle choices weren't for them.
"Apparently at one point he thought he was Jesus," one former friend told the publication. "He became psychologically dislodged."
Colleagues told the Herald Sun he started heavily abusing drugs after his fiancé left him.
On the night in question he was reportedly with Herron at a gathering in the city.
They left together just hours before her death, reported The Age.
Courtney's devastated mother and grandmother were photographed screaming over flowers that lay where her body was found.
Not until September 16 will they have the chance to hear why the man accused of her murder allegedly did what he did.
The police are also devastated, it's the fourth woman murdered in a public place in Melbourne in less than a year.
"Every time I hear about a woman being attacked – for me as a man – it gives me some pause for reflection about what it is in our community that makes men think it's OK to attack women, or take what they want from women," Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornerlius told the media, The Age reports.
"We as a society need to take an opportunity to reflect on how men view women in our community, and... tragedies where women have been attacked and suffered harm at the hands of men," he said.
" Violence against women is absolutely about men’s behaviour, it’s not about women’s behaviour," he reiterated.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Courtney's funeral. It's currently at the time of writing this at $8000, with a goal of $10,000.
You can donate here.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Read More:
"You deserved so much better": Courtney Herron's body was discovered by Melbourne dog walkers.
Accused killer of Melbourne woman, Courtney Herron, appears in court.
Courtney Herron's friend says the system let her down before she was murdered.
Another woman has been found dead in Melbourne. Police say it's "not about women’s behaviour."
Top Comments
Can we stop making excuses for a murderer? This isn't his story, its Courtney's.
Mental health and drug use are widely spread issues that certainly deserve more funding and attention. But this doesn't have to be the story that we use to examine that. Imagine being that poor girl's family and having to read all this tripe about how the system just failed this man. Because he's white and was good looking.
He's a murderer. He ruined his own life by murdering her. The tragedy is that she's gone, not that he is going to face consequences.
Once upon a time governments were willing to treat people with mental health issues. Then they realized it was cheaper to put them "back in the community".
Now we see the consequences of that.
My brother had schizoaffective
disorder and was one of those who lived in suitable supported accomodation who was “rehabilitated” to live in the community.
A “not for profit” took over the government service. He lived in a wonderful home for years - by home I mean uni college style dorm accomodation - private room, meals provided, activities, friendship - a “job”.
Fast forward the “not for profit” funding is based on higher payments for getting the long term institutionalised living independent. Even if that means not taking medication, not eating heathy food,spending all money on cigarettes, becoming psychotic and smashing up
Houses next door, living in filth-his Megs make him wet the bed and his aim is poor do the floor disintegrated due to the urine. He smelt really really bad so people took a wide birth.
But they got their bonus because he was “ rehabilitated”.
Until he almost died from accidentally overdosing on his already inappropriate medication. Was in a coma and found on the floor. No one rang his next of kin due to “privacy” and we only found out because some friends were visiting a relative in the same room.
We live in another state so it is difficult to keep in contact when he kept swapping his phone for cigarettes.
After an extended hospital stay They sent him home alone again where they decided it was not safe for him to self medicate- so people came multiple times a day- but he was never home-too busy wandering the streets picking up cigarette butts so he missed his medication.
Consequently he dissolved into scary violent psychosis. Smashed houses, bank tellers and bakery workers.
At this stage they asked if I would like to have him move in with me. My violent older brother who killed my cat as a teen- smashed my bike and toys and sexually abused me ( he was a young teen - I was a 2-4 year old). I have young kids. It was never going to happen.
But I did fly down home, and really push for more suitable housing. They tried a group home but he still needed to be independent. They we managed to get him into a proper home again with support, food and cleaning. I don’t think it is even government funded - more a hostel run by a top man who took over from his dad who ran it for decades before him. They use the NDIS to fund people to do his cleaning , take him in activities and bath him. They provide the food and emotional support and financial management. They have to share a room and it’s not run by health professionals but it is stability. He was supported through his court cases by the man who runs it.
He is now on much less medication, can function better as a human,can now visit me on the mainland and I know he is safe and happy.
We need to have better care of vulnerable people.