Long-term patient to be allowed out

Health authorities have confirmed Ashley Peacock will be released back into the community after a decade controversially locked up in a mental health facility.

But there is plenty of work yet to be done. His family say the transition could take at least six months as there is no residence planned yet.

The autistic, severely mentally ill, intellectually disabled man has been in a secure psychiatric unit in Porirua. His care costs almost $1 million a year.

The Ombudsman has called the use of seclusion in his case degrading.

Ashley’s parents, Dave and Marlena Peacock, told a parliamentary health select committee the news yesterday as they presented a petition calling for Health Minister Jonathan Coleman to intervene in his case.

Outside Parliament, they said they felt ‘‘positive’’ about the development.

But the plan is in its infancy, and they were not ready to tell their son the news until there were more solid arrangements around housing and trained staff.

‘‘Ashley is such a damaged individual. He’s going to need a great deal of help, support, and especially psychological support,’’ Marlena Peacock said.

They had been dismayed to learn how much was being spent on keeping Ashley locked up, saying the money would be better spent on caring for him in the community where he loved to surf and play with animals.

Marlena described Ashley as having been ‘‘dumped’’ into ‘‘inappropriate’’ services, saying he should never have been in a psychiatric unit.

She also described how they had been horrified by the ‘‘traumatic’’ seclusion approach between 2010 and 2013.

‘‘During his lengthy time in seclusion we would often hear heart-wrenching sobs and animallike howls [and] . . . watching him crawl around the floor with faeces in his nails.’’

Seclusion has since reduced but his outdoors access remains limited to a daily walk to see ponies, a fortnightly van ride, and occasional supermarket trips.