Stab survivor ready for home
Man attacked by mentally ill son hopes to be home for Christmas.
Aman who survived a murderous rampage that claimed three lives hopes to be home for Christmas. Keith Bremner is recuperating at a rehabilitation centre after being stabbed by his schizophrenic son, Ross, last October.
Keith’s wife, Clare, 60, was killed and Ross went on to kill two other people before taking his own life.
Nine months on, 65-year-old Keith can talk but is still unable to walk.
Dennis Kaumoana, the Bremners’ next-door neighbour, told the Herald on Sunday Keith was aware his wife and son were dead, but he did not know how, “which is a blessing”.
His hopes to return to the family’s Otorohanga home are on hold until it is modified so he can move independently around the property.
It’s understood ACC has referred an independent supplier to assess modifications. ACC would not discuss the case, but Kaumoana said an engineer had been to the four-bedroom house.
“The plan includes building new ramps, widening the doors for Keith’s wheelchair and installing an internal lift.
“I was shocked when he said it would take nearly two years for the house to be ‘viable’ for Keith to live in,” he said.
“I said, ‘I’m no builder but I reckon I could slap one up in 3-4 months’.” Kaumoana said Keith was keen to get back home as soon as possible.
“He is paralysed on the left side of his body. After the attack Keith had strokes between here and Waikato Hospital.
“He stays in touch with most of his friends on his mobile.”
Ross, 34, a diagnosed schizophrenic, fatally stabbed his mother and left Keith with knife wounds. Keith and Clare have two daughters — Loren and Kylie — who were not at the property during the attack.
After a three-day manhunt, Ross’s body was found alongside those of Maurice O’Donnell, 72, and his wife Mona Tuwhangai, 82, at their property near Kawhia, about 65km away.
Kaumoana is a relative of the victims in Kawhia. “The family haven’t told Keith about my cousins, it’s better that way. He has enough to cope with losing his wife and son.
“I don’t think there is any sense adding more pressure to his grief, it’s not his fault.”
After the attack Keith was coma for nearly two months.
Friend Phil Collins, who has known the Bremners more than 20 years, said Keith was improving and getting “back to cracking jokes”.
“He wants to go home. He’s so determined he can lift the leg up that was paralysed so he has a bit of movement now.”
Collins once ran a karaoke business and got Keith hooked on music. “Of course he couldn’t sing for s*** but he gave it a bloody good go in the end,” he said.
Collins played Keith’s favourite songs from his laptop at hospital.
“His favourite song was Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World. When he came out of the coma he in a said, ‘Cheers for playing music to me’. So I was pleased he heard it.”
Ross was an outpatient at Waikato Hospital’s Mental Health and Addiction services but he had a number of brief inpatient stays in Henry Bennett Centre, from October 2003 to January 2007.
Since 2013 he had lived in the community under the care of his GP and the relevant DHB services.
It has been widely reported that two weeks before the attacks Clare pleaded with the Waikato District Health Board for help because of her son’s state of mind.
Collins said just two days before the fatal stabbing, Clare told him Ross was in a “bad way”.
“They said he wouldn’t leave his room and just stared at the walls — like the lights are on but no one’s home.
Obviously Ross was building up to something, which is why Clare was so desperate for help.”
Waikato District Health board has completed a Serious Event Review Report into the care and treatment of Ross Bremner.
A spokeswoman said it wouldn’t be released publicly until Keith Bremner had seen it.
The family haven’t told Keith about my cousins, it’s better that way. He has enough to cope with losing his wife and son. I don’t think there is any sense adding more pressure to his grief, it’s not his fault. Dennis Kaumoana