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Canberra Man Charged With Mother’s Murder Remanded After Court Rejects Hospital Assessment

The court opted for treatment in custody rather than a hospital assessment.

Overview

  • Police allege 51-year-old Marcus Paul Kauffman fatally stabbed his mother at the family's Dryandra Street home in O'Connor, and officers arrested him at the scene.
  • Paramedics treated the woman for critical injuries at the house, and she died in transit to hospital, while her husband, Dr Paul Kauffman, was taken to hospital in stable condition.
  • The accused appeared via video in the ACT Magistrates Court, made no bid for bail, and was remanded to jail after the magistrate refused a hospital-based mental-health assessment, with the case to return next month.
  • Magistrate James Lawton said assessment and care can occur in custody after the prosecutor raised security concerns about a hospital.
  • The Kauffmans are long-time O’Connor residents, and past writings by Dr Paul Kauffman describe years of seeking psychiatric care and housing for their son.