Murder accused sought help

JOELLE DALLY | 3rd March 2010

The family of a man accused of murdering Huntsbury widow Gaynor White during an alleged burglary say they tried to get him admitted into psychiatric care in the week leading up to the killing.

Shaun Skilling, 22, has been charged with killing the 62-year-old. A family member found her dead in her Aotea Tce home last month.

The Star

Skilling's grandfather, 71, who did not wish to be named, told The Star yesterday he tried to get Skilling admitted to Hillmorton Hospital about a week before Mrs White's death.

However, staff said he needed a referral and suggested they go to psychiatric services at Christchurch Hospital.

Skilling was assessed at Christchurch Hospital, but was not considered serious enough to be admitted to Hillmorton, the grandfather said.

He said yesterday that hospital staff should have admitted him and put him on a drug programme.

Skilling's mother, Donna Moore, has laid a complaint with the Canterbury District Health Board.

Mrs White's brother-in-law, Lindsay White, said yesterday he would not be questioning the actions or decisions of hospital staff.

"You have channels you have to got to use. You can't just walk in the door and say, 'see me now'," he said.

However, Mr White said he did not feel angry with Skilling's family publicly criticising health staff.

"If they are decent people they will be grieving in their own way," he said.

Skilling's grandfather said Skilling was "a great kid" but things went downhill after his father died after crashing his car off Summit Rd in 2001.

Skilling developed a drug problem not long after that, he said.

He said he had feared his grandson was suicidal, but "never in my wildest dreams" expected he would be charged with murder.

"I said to him, 'If you don't get off drugs you're either going to get killed, go to jail, or die in jail. I didn't know how prophetic it was," he said.

The grandfather said he felt "desperately bad" for Mrs White's family.

"It's bad enough someone in your family dying. But someone going this way, it must be unbelievable," he said.

Nearly 400 people attended Mrs White's funeral on Friday.

Lindsay White said the family were struggling with the loss and were taking it "one day at a time."

He said his sister and her late husband Dennis lived for other people and were well respected in the community.

He said the family were focusing on preparing themselves for Skilling's next appearance in the district court on Monday.