WARNING: This story discusses graphic details that may be distressing.
A schizophrenic who believed people could read his thoughts kicked a homeless woman to death after police were alerted twice about his concerning behaviour.
Campbell was well-known in the community and her death shocked locals, with many laying flowers and leaving heartfelt messages where she was killed.
Landkroon was under the care of a General Adult Community Mental Health Team, but was homeless, psychotic, and actively using substances during the attack in which he repeatedly kicked Campbell while she lay on the ground.
The attack was described in court as violent and without motive.
Last month in the High Court at Christchurch, Justice Jonathan Eaton accepted that Landkroon was unfit to plead or stand trial and that the evidence showed he had committed the murder.
Today, Justice Eaton said he was satisfied with the health and psychiatric reports that Lankroon should be detained in a hospital as a special patient.
The health and psychiatric reports stated Landkroon has suffered from schizophrenia for more than two decades, which has been complicated by his substance abuse and severe personality disorder.
One report stated that Landkroon was making “slow but positive progress” but continues to think people can read his thoughts and poses a high risk to the safety of others.
Another report said at the time of the offence Landkroon believed he was being persecuted by his neighbours and that they were speaking “ill” of him.
The report indicated that Landkroon would not cope within the community, leading to a deterioration in his mental state with a high potential for further incidents of serious violence.
According to the summary of facts presented to the court, on January 12 at 10.35pm Landkroon entered the car park on Hawke St and sat down next to Campbell.
An argument developed between the two and Campbell told Landkroon to leave several times and that she was going to call the police before Landkroon stood up and kicked Campbell at least 15 times to her head and upper body.
He then walked away, leaving her lying on the ground but returned a minute later to kick her another five times to the head and upper body. Campbell was unconscious and bleeding heavily as Landkroon walked away from her, toward the beach.
Ambulance and police staff arrived and attempts were made to resuscitate Campbell before she was taken to hospital, still unconscious. Meanwhile, Landkroon returned to the car park and was taken into custody by police.
Campbell sustained major external injuries to her head and face consisting of a large laceration to her right temple which exposed her skull, and a number of abrasions and bruises to her nose, left forehead, the left upper rear of her head and both ears.
She also sustained 60 minor individual blunt force injuries consisting of bruises and grazing which were dispersed over her body.
She was pronounced dead at 12.40am on January 13 due to blunt force traumatic brain injuries and haemorrhage from the assault.
When Landkroon was interviewed by police he admitted to kicking Campbell approximately 30 times to the head.
Canterbury metro area commander Superintendant Lane Todd said police were called to an incident involving Landkroon earlier in the night, involving an incident between Landkroon and another man. Landkroon was cooperative with police and no further action was required.
“Our officers who attended dealt with this incident appropriately, based on the information available to them at the time.”
Police received a call a short time later from a woman who reported that a man had punched her vehicle and then chased her car as she tried to drive away in New Brighton. The man had run off and police did not have an exact location for him.
“Local units were made aware of the man and his description and told to keep an eye out for him but he was not located.
“Barbara Campbell’s death was extremely tragic and our thoughts continue to be with her family.”
Justice Eaton expressed his deepest level of sympathy to Campbell’s family and friends, some of whom were in court today.
- By Emily Moorhouse
- Open Justice multimedia journalist, Christchurch
