In front of her children
Amanda Harris thought her partner was going to hurt himself – but she was very wrong…
Childcare worker Amanda Harris was growing increasingly concerned about her partner Daniel Eckersley. Ever since having an accident at his work as a baker three years earlier in 2015, Daniel had been taking medication for the pain in his knee. But as he struggled to get the pain under control, Daniel started taking more than the recommended dose and mixing them with antidepressants and too much alcohol. His behaviour was growing worryingly erratic and Amanda was convinced it was all coming to a crisis point. She just didn’t know when that would happen, and what it might be.
Amanda, 36, and Daniel, 38, had been together for 17 years. They had three children aged nine, five and one and lived together in Cranbourne North, in Melbourne, Australia. After his workplace injury, Daniel had started taking the opioid painkiller tramadol that had been prescribed to him by his GP – but he was taking far more than the recommended amount as he tried to get the pain under control. His drug abuse was getting out of hand.
Daniel had been unable to keep working and struggled to cope so he’d been given antidepressants, too.The painkillers mixed with antidepressants and his heavy drinking habits was a toxic combination. By July 2018, Daniel was tearful, agitated and more depressed than usual. Amanda was worried.
During their relationship, Daniel had been the more controlling of the pair. Her family would later say Daniel’s behaviour had even driven a wedge between them and Amanda, but it was clear the caring wife was now trying to help Daniel in his hour of need. Was he in danger of harming himself? Amanda certainly believed that was a risk by the way he was behaving.
Daniel was growing increasingly paranoid and started to think that the neighbours were breaking into his home. He even thought he could talk to the dead. Devoted wife Amanda wanted to help him out of his downward spiral but he continued to abuse his medication.
At the start of July, Amanda took her husband to the doctor, who acknowledged Daniel was struggling but didn’t believe he was a threat to himself. Amanda even reached out to Daniel’s family,
Daniel grabbed a hammer and started smashing up the kitchen
telling them she believed he was having a breakdown – even family members he hadn’t spoken to in years.
Then, on July 7, the crisis point came and it was worse than anything Amanda could ever have imagined. Out of nowhere, Daniel grabbed a hammer and started smashing up the kitchen in their home. Terrified Amanda realised that Daniel wasn’t a threat to himself – he was now a threat to her.
Daniel had told a friend that he believed his wife was trying to poison him and the kids. But did he tell his wife that as he started to slam open the cupboard doors? Daniel started to clear out their kitchen cupboards, sending food and crockery hurtling to the floor. He yanked open the fridge and pulled out the contents. Using the hammer, he crushed items and threw everything in the bin.
Amanda and Daniel’s children heard their parents arguing. If only that had been where it had ended.