Courtney Herron was a vibrant young lady who at the age of 25 had her life cut short, when she was heinously & brutally murdered in one of the most senseless & maliciously violent cases of violence against women that Victoria has ever seen.

On May 25, 2019, Courtney’s body was discovered in Royal Park, Parkville in Melbourne .

Her death & the horrific circumstances surrounding it shocked every Australian household.

Her death attracted widespread media coverage of the case.

On May 28, 2019, Vic Police arrested & charged Henry Hammond with murdering Courtney Herron.

Australians watched in horror & shock at yet another innocent young woman’s life being taken too soon, once again due to violence against women. 

Melburnians are fed up with the State Government’s inaction in prioritising & ensuring women are kept safe in the community as a result of multiple young women being violently murdered.

In Victoria far too many women lose their lives due to violence against women perpetrated by men.

Since Jill Meagher's murder in 2012 & the subsequent Victorian Family Violence Royal Commission in 2016, some progress made. However from where we sit as victims of violence against women, not much has changed. 

Around the same time of Henry Hammond’s early release from jail in April 2019, myself & my daughter also suffered from a DV perpetrator. We were forced to relocate to Melbourne from country Victoria for our own safety.

What is deeply disturbing is that our personal circumstances & experiences with the Justice System unfortunately are common, not isolated incidents. They dramatically demonstrate the inadequacy of the Victorian Justice System in holding perpetrators accountable in relation to Violence against women, & coercive control in the context of Domestic Violence.

FACTS MATTER

Courtney Herron’s murder could have been prevented.

Henry Hammond has never expressed any remorse regarding murdering Courtney Herron

BRIEF TIMELINE OF HENRY HAMMOND’S VIOLENT HISTORY 

Dec 2018:  Henry Hammond was sentenced to ten months jail for attacking & threatening his former partner with a kitchen knife. Hammond then punched her in the face, broke her eye socket, & then strangled her.

April 2019:  Henry Hammond granted early release from jail on a Community Correction Order under care of Corrections Victoria. 

April 2019 : Henry Hammond had no fixed address, nor was Henry Hammond appropriately monitored despite assurances given by the OPP to Judge Carmody.

May 26, 2019 : Henry Hammond brutally murders Courtney Herron

May 28, 2019 : Henry Hammond charged with murdering Courtney Herron 

Dec 18, 2019 : Henry Hammond pleads not guilty to murdering Ms Herron, by reasons of mental impairment.

July 21, 2020:  Henry Hammond is transferred to a mental health facility Thomas Embling Hospital after a court agreed he was unfit to stand trial

August 17, 2020:  Justice Phillip Priest found Hammond not guilty of murdering Courtney Herron because he had schizophrenia. Justice Phillip Priest also determined that Hammond was “deemed too high a risk to the public.

This petition is extremely important to us. It is deeply & profoundly personal. 

AMYSUMMER IS 18, SHE WRITES:

‘This petition is very important to us. Perpetrators of violence against women need to be majorly held accountable. From our personal experience with the “justice system” men get away with violent crimes that hurt women & their children, then walk away paying a small fine. 

Or like Hammond faking a major mental illness to get out of prison, so he can be sent to a psychiatric hospital knowing too well he’ll get out in a couple of years”

We were watching on TV the reports of Hannah Clarke & her children. Their experiences before they were murdered were like watching our story. I vividly remember looking at my mum & saying “omg that literally sounds exactly like us’. Why does their lives sound so much like ours?” 

We are close friends of John Herron. My name Amy-Summer & my mum’s Loulou was written next to Courtney’s on a friend's arm in black texta for the March4Justice walk to Parliament House in Canberra.

That’s how we became friends with him. My mum reached out to him. 

AMY-SUMMER CONTINUES..

“So you can murder someone, & be given day release that soon. That to me is so messed up & horrifying. No one gets cured from a major mental illness that makes them kill someone so violently that quickly. These criminals get free phones too. Courtney gave this man who was homeless support & care, for what? To be brutally murdered because he claims she was someone from his made up fantasy past life? No one is taking in the fact he was in prison previously for trying to murder his ex girlfriend & she survived miraculously by self defence. Courtney’s death could have been prevented. 

All women’s further abuse or murders by men can be prevented. Daniel Andrews walks straight past a giant piece of paper with names of women & children who have been taken far too soon, who should never have been taken. They should be alive right now. If Henry Hammond gets out, he will hurt & kill more women just like he did Courtney. 

I know from my experience with my father violently abusing my mum & I that these men wear fancy trust me outfits & in public show a completely different persona. They physically, financially, emotionally, & psychologically abuse you, whilst manipulating your family to believe they are the victim. 

This petition is important to us because women & children should be the one’s smiling & living their lives to the fullest. Courtney Herron should be but she is not’.”

LOU WRITES:

On 3rd August 2022 myself & AmySummer were invited to attend the Lost Petition Event at Parliament House Victoria . We attended in support of our friend John Herron, whose daughter Courtney Herron’s name is written on the Lost Petition. Prior to attending the event we met up with John to spend time with him before the event.

Parliament did not sit that afternoon in a show of respect to an MP who had recently passed away. 

Daniel Andrews at the very same time, briskly walked straight through the room where the 30m long Lost Petition Event was being held with all the victims/survivors in attendance. The Lost Petition is a piece of artwork by Naarm/Melbourne artist Dans Bains bearing the names of women & children who’ve lost their lives because of mens’ violence in Australia since 2008. Sherele Moody conducts all the research & provides Dans Bains with the names & details of each individual to be added to the list. Courtney’s name is on this, along with far too many others. It is overwhelming to view this artwork & more importantly horrifyingly frightening that names are constantly being added to it. 

He did not stop, acknowledge nor pay any respect to the proceedings. It was disgustingly abhorrent to witness. To watch Daniel Andrews demonstrate such blatant disrespect sums up the very same feeling every single victim of violence against women in Victoria feels. 

Actions speak louder than words Daniel Andrews.

That single action by Daniel Andrews was loud & oh so clear. 

YET at the time of Courtney Herron’s murder these were Daniel Andrews’ words below. 

May 2019

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews condemned the woman's death on Sunday describing it as a "deeply distressing" tragedy.

"This is a terrible, terrible tragedy," Mr Andrews said. "It reminds us that whilst we have achieved a lot we have so much more to do in terms of preventing violence against women and keeping women across Victoria safe."

——————————————————————

Stuart Grimley MP, a personal friend who attended the Lost Petition event, took time out of his busy schedule to show us the chambers where Parliament sits straight after the event concluded. Tania Maxwell MP hugged us both on her arrival to the event also.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS A NATIONAL CRISIS.

Despite Victoria having the highest statistics in relation to Violence Against Women resulting in deaths, nothing is being done in terms of perpetrators’ accountability.

Far too often now the claim of mental impairment is used as a defence in order to avoid accountability & incarceration. 

Just recently on the 25th August, John Herron was interviewed on the Today Show by Alison Langdon & Karl Stefanovic in relation to the potential imminent day release of Henry Hammond. 

Karl Stefanovic said he ‘feels sick’ about the prospect of a killer walking free a little over a year after he was sent to a psychiatric hospital.

We also feel sick to the core about Henry Hammond’s day release that is occurring now. Leading to his possible release back into the community full-time.

• It is unfathomable.
• It is morally reprehensible. 
• It is beyond comprehension.
• It is an insult to all the families who have lost loved ones in similar circumstances.
• It is simply not ok.

It is morally repugnant & an abhorrently gross & succinct example of criminals knowingly manipulating the “justice system” by claiming “mental impairment “. By spending a couple of years at Thomas Embling, during that time their “mental impairment” defies medical science & they are recovered. Deemed fit for “escorted day release”, & then subsequently released back free into the community unsupervised. 

Henry Hammond was released early from jail prior to killing Courtney Herron for strangulation, under the supervision of Vic Dept Health.

Given their failure to supervise Henry Hammond he brutally murdered Courtney Herron.

Given Henry Hammond’s violent history of brutality & murder, he must NOT be allowed back into the community..

Nothing has changed since Courtney Herron lost her life. 

47 women in 2023 have been killed so far due to men’s violence against women.

How many more need to lose their lives before anything is taken seriously. It is a National Crisis that is reported almost daily on the nightly news bulletins yet nothing is done?

If there were a string of One Punch Deaths for example only, whereby 10 men shockingly lost their lives in a short space of time. We all know what would happen then. It would be reported on & broadcast nationally with every Premier holding press conferences condemning the violent attacks, & laws would be yet again implemented & expedited. 
Yet women are being murdered like it’s some kind of sick hobby men do repeatedly & all we get is political rhetoric from Politicians, saying how shocking this is as they send their “thoughts & prayers & condolences” to the families. Mere words. No action no new laws expedited to protect women & hold perpetrators accountable. Just words.

 

IMAGINE HOW JOHN HERRON AND HIS FAMILY FEEL?

John Herron wrote this about his beautiful daughter Courtney…

‘Like a skyrocket, she lit up the sky in an instant, and touched everyone with her everlasting brightness’

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION & SHARE 

HENRY HAMMOND IS A DANGEROUSLY VIOLENT KILLER WHO MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE RELEASED INTO THE COMMUNITY. 
HENRY HAMMOND HAS NEVER EXPRESSED ANY REMORSE REGARDING MURDERING COURTNEY HERRON.

'Corrections Victoria had identified him while in custody as a high-risk reoffending for violent crimes’.

OUTCOME NEEDED

We are calling on Jacinta Allan urgently to address this matter in the interests of;

• ENSURING HENRY HAMMOND IS NEVER FULLY FREED IN THE INTERESTS OF PUBLIC SAFETY DUE TO HIS DANGEROUSLY VIOLENT HISTORY OF RE-OFFENDING, & DEMONSTRATED THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
• HAMMOND IS A VIOLENT KILLER WHO NOW IS ENJOYING DAY RELEASE BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. ON THE BALANCE OF PROBABILITIES WILL INEVITABLY KILL AGAIN, WHEN IS GIVEN DAY RELEASE UNESCORTED.

1. Addressing the urgent need for Government intervention in relation to the current day release of Henry Hammond, a dangerously violent killer in the interests of public safety, & the extreme & significant threat to women’s safety.
   Media reports & photos confirm Henry Hammond has been on several occasions having lunch in a restaurant in Thornbury. 
2. Addressing the urgent need for Government intervention preventing Henry Hammond, a dangerously violent killer from ever being released back into the community on the basis of the balance of probabilities Hammond will inevitably kill again.
3. Addressing the flaws in the Victorian Justice System permitting the early jail release of violent offenders such as Henry Hammond with a history of excessively violent recidivism.
4. Addressing the flaws in the Victorian Justice System that permit high risk violent offenders with a history of repeated violent crimes access to “escorted” day release from Thomas Embling psychiatric facilities, in the interest of Public Safety. Henry Hammond has been at Thomas Embling for less than 3 years, yet already granted the privilege of day release, & lunching at restaurants. 
5. Mandatory laws expedited to ensure perpetrators of violence against women are not granted bail when deemed to be “too high risk to the public’.
6. Mandatory laws expedited to ensure violent offenders refused bail ensuring Women in Victoria are kept safe. 
7. Mandatory law introduced preventing excessively violent killers being released from Psychiatric Facilities back into the community within the nominal incarceration period. In the event they are “miraculously cured” after being deemed “mentally unfit for trial”, instead of being granted release back into the community, they must return to jail for the remainder of their sentence.
8. The government intervention in prioritising expedited court hearings when Violence against Women has occurred.
9. Public Safety.  
10. Ensuring the continued safety of the Victorian people & ultimately the Australian community as a whole.

 

This petition was written by Loulou Tonkin Seeff & Amysummer Tonkin Seeff

Image credit John Herron.