A man who was fatally beaten by his son had confided in his boss that he feared for his life just days before he was killed.
Stephen Peter O’Brien, 68, was found dead in his Wyndham Vale home on January 10, 2023, after police conducted a welfare check.
His son, Scott O’Brien, who had schizophrenia and was not receiving treatment at the time, was later arrested and charged with his murder.
According to News.com.au, Victoria State Coroner John Cain determined that O’Brien died from multiple blunt and sharp force injuries to his head, inflicted by Scott sometime between January 7 and January 10, 2023.
The suspect, who was 43 at the time, had never moved out of the family home and had a long history of violence toward his parents, though much of it had gone unreported.
In the days leading up to the tragedy, O’Brien had voiced growing concerns about his son’s mental health and violent tendencies. He told his employer he needed time off to take Scott to see a doctor and confided in his sister that he didn’t want to go home.
The coroner revealed that Scott suffered from paranoid delusions and believed his dad was a federal police officer spying on him. Because of his son’s paranoia, O’Brien would often take phone calls inside his car to avoid confrontation.
On January 7, O’Brien was last seen on CCTV leaving the Manor Lakes Shopping Centre around 4:30PM. He later called his boss, saying he planned to come to work on January 9, but he never showed up.
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The man had spent years trying to manage his son’s violent outbursts to protect both himself and his late wife, Elizabeth. He frequently arranged for either himself or Scott to stay in temporary accommodation to diffuse tensions.
Scott had a history of aggression, including attempting to assault his father multiple times. In one instance, he fractured O’Brien’s face, requiring hospitalization. He also threatened visitors, verbally abused neighbors, and threw rocks at their home.
After his wife’s death, friends offered O’Brien a place to stay and work in Bendigo, but he turned it down and chose instead to remain with his son.
The coroner found that the late father was either unaware of available support services or never sought help, possibly not realizing that Scott’s behavior constituted family violence.
"Stephen’s case, sadly, is one of several cases being investigated by the court in which an adult child with undiagnosed or untreated mental health issues has assaulted and killed an older or elderly parent," Mr. Cain said.
Cain recommended that the Victorian government take action to better identify and support hidden mental health carers like O’Brien and their families. He also called for increased public awareness about elder abuse through targeted campaigns.
Scott was charged with his father’s murder. However, in April 2024, he was found not guilty because of mental impairment.