Melbourne University Press. - Killer instinct: having a mind for murder

PRAISE FOR KILLER INSTINCT

It is a terrifying insight into the killer within. By laying bare the crimes, compulsions and twisting contradictions of ten individual killers, Grant succeeds in exposing something even more disturbingthat each of us is capable, at our worst, of something dark and violent. In a lifetime spent working with hundreds of murderers and thousands more who have committed brutal acts, Grant has learned to strip away their defences, revealing the base instincts, bitter childhoods and self-serving justifications that led them to commit the very worst of crimes. He has attempted to inhabit the minds of these murderers and to understand their actions. The resultthis bookis painful, honest and unflinching. More compelling than any crime fiction, Killer Instinct should be required reading, for it reveals how the line between good and evil lies very close to home.

Dan Box, host of the Bowraville podcast series, winner of two Walkley awards and the Sir Keith Murdoch and Les Kennedy awards

Killer Instinct is an intriguing read. It gives a fascinating insight into the world of killers, forensic psychiatry and the legal system, including the difficulties of predicting dangerousness.

Who hasnt wondered if, given a particular set of circumstances or mental illness, they might be driven to kill another?

Forensic psychiatrist Donald Grant, whose reports I read with confidence during my twenty-six years as a judge, explores that and other big questions, such as who is capable of rehabilitation, who has rehabilitated, and who is beyond redemption.

Margaret McMurdo, immediate past President, Court of Appeal, Queensland Supreme Court

What a great book! A fascinating and compelling read. From the outset, you are struck by the authenticity of the authorial voice. Donald Grant is not some sensationalist hack looking to beat up a story for cheap thrills. This is a book by a trained professional intimately involved in the affairs described. Over the course of his career, he has seen a lot. There is tremendous variety in the case studies. Each is completely engrossing in its own particular way You learn a lot from this text. It is perfectly paced with moments of reflection and diagnosis amidst the horror of sadism and murder.

Alastair Blanshard, Head of the School of Historical and Philosophical Enquiry, University of Queensland

This is a fascinating insight from one of Australias leading forensic psychiatrists into an area of human behaviour that forever baffles most people. A must read for all of those interested, or involved in, cases of murder as to how the forensic psychiatrist unravels and makes sense of this often alarming and incomprehensible behaviour.

Fiona Judd, Professorial Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne

Murder to most lay people, law enforcement officers and juries presents a real challenge in understanding the motivation behind such a heinous act. Utilising his forensic psychiatry skills, Dr Grant provides a very readable and compelling analysis of cases in which he has been involved, and should provide readers with a greater understanding of the psychological and psychiatric issues in the mad versus bad dichotomy.

Julian Davis, forensic psychiatrist

KILLER
INSTINCT

HAVING A MIND
FOR MURDER

DONALD GRANT

MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY PRESS

An imprint of Melbourne University Publishing Limited

Level 1, 715 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia

www.mup.com.au

First published 2018

Text Donald A Grant, 2018

Design and typography Melbourne University Publishing Limited, 2018

This book is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent amendments, no part may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means or process whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publishers.

Every attempt has been made to locate the copyright holders for material quoted in this book. Any person or organisation that may have been overlooked or misattributed may contact the publisher.

Cover design by Philip Campbell Design

Typeset by Megan Ellis

Printed in Australia by McPhersons Printing Group

ISBN 9780522873597 (paperback)

ISBN 9780522873603 (ebook)

To all of my psychiatrist colleagues and friends who share with me the passion and challenges of this work, and whose support, camaraderie and peer review over many years have kept me reasonably sane and on track.

CONTENTS

AUTHORS NOTE

Murder has a high profile in the public psyche. The television and print media and films are full of murder stories. The most vicious or terrifying cases are reported in depth, sometimes with graphic images, maps and diagrams. Our curiosity seems insatiable: appalled by the tragedy, were nonetheless attracted to every sordid detail. We speculate endlessly about the motivation of the murderersecond-guessing, becoming sleuths in coffee conversations. The subject of murder has become as safe as the weather, though much more fascinating.

Yet murder is a rare event. In Australia, the incidence of murderthe number of new cases per yearis very low, around one for every 100 000 people. In fact, in our society it is slowly reducing in frequency, possibly because of factors such as gun control and an improved understanding and treatment of mental health issues. In other societies the incidence of murder is much higher, for a range of social and cultural reasons.

Within Australia, the incidence of murder varies considerably across different sectors of society. The most common offenders are men aged twenty-five to forty-five. Murder occurs more frequently in cities than in rural locations, and has strong associations with domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse, general criminality, gang activity, social instability and sometimes ethnicity. Two-thirds of murders occur in the home and the commonest weapon is a knife. Three-quarters of offenders are caught and charged within a short time.

As a young psychiatrist I became interested from a clinical perspective in the reasons why people become violent. Increasingly, over many years, I was drawn into the practice of forensic psychiatry, the criminal area of which involves the examination and assessment of people who have fallen foul of the law. Forensic psychiatrists come to this fascinating field from a background of medical qualification, experience in general medicine and then years of training in psychiatry, followed by clinical work honing interviewing and diagnostic skills and gaining expertise in treating patients with a wide variety of disorders. Good clinical skills are a vital prerequisite to a successful forensic career. To that basis must then be added specific training and treatment experience with forensic patients and developing a basic knowledge of the areas of law relevant to your assessments. Some of my forensic colleagues practise mainly in civil law areas, perhaps assessing accident victims claiming compensation or working in family court matters. While I have done many civil law assessments, in recent years my focus has been almost entirely on the criminal area, by which I am fascinated. Over the course of more than four decades of practice, I have assessed thousands of violent and sexual offenders. I estimate that I have reported upon more than 200 people who were charged with murder.