ausdoc . com . au 14 JUNE 2024

Christopher Healey stalked Dr Anna Chaney as part of his hate campaign .

Rachel Fieldhouse A MAN who tried to kill a GP with an axe after stalking her for years will spend more than two decades in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder .

Dr Anna Chaney was treating a pregnant woman at her Perth practice when Christopher Bernard Healey , a former patient from another practice , attacked her with an axe last September .

Mr Healey struggled with Dr Chaney and the patient , who was 12 weeks pregnant and hit on the temple during the fight .

Another doctor then disarmed Mr Healey and restrained him until police arrived . Dr Chaney was left with a 6cm laceration on her abdomen , scratches on her legs and chest , bruising and superficial grazes . Last December , Mr Healey pleaded guilty to five charges , including the aggravated attempted murder of Dr Chaney , burglary , stalking , intent to harm and possessing a controlled weapon .

In sentencing him , Justice Natalie Whitby said the attack was “ calculated ” and “ unprovoked ”.

“ It is difficult to put into words how heinous and disgusting your behaviour was ,” she told Mr Healey .

Mr Healey was a regular patient of Dr Chaney at Homeless Healthcare , starting in 2018 .

The court heard that his mental health declined in 2020 .

It found that , over the next three years , Mr Healey stalked Dr Chaney by sending her and her family Facebook messages from fake accounts , including sexual comments .

He also sent her anonymous gifts , including toilet paper and a gift basket , and made sexual comments to her during a consultation , Justice Whitby said .

After Homeless Healthcare banned him , he developed “ an all-consuming bitterness and hatred towards [ Dr Chaney ], which grew more intense as time passed ”.

In 2021 , Mr Healey messaged Dr Chaney ’ s husband saying he was about to take his own life , prompting her to obtain a restraining order , the court found .

But the Supreme Court of WA heard that Mr Healey repeatedly breached the restraining order and made a “ baseless ” AHPRA complaint about Dr Chaney , which was dismissed .

The messages stopped in August 2022 .

After that point , Mr Healey formed “ an intention to kill Dr Chaney ” and considered himself “ morally justified in killing her ”, according to his diary that was found by police .

In August , he wrote in his diary that he “ immediately had zero empathy ” for

Dr Chaney and was angry at her after he was ejected from Homeless Healthcare .

“ To highlight how this constant anger has changed me , killing Anna — there , I said it — now feels like a positive release of a longstanding valve , my 27 months of anger .

“ I hope I buy that icepick off eBay and my studies in anatomy serve me well . She was my doctor , and she deserves her fate .”

A month later , he wrote : “ I ’ m sure I was just waiting for a trigger to push me over the edge , and the betrayal of someone who entered a profession because she wanted to help people , and the subsequent loss of my entire support network , opened that oneway destructive door wide .”

‘ Dr Chaney had only shown you kindness in the course of caring for you as [ your ] doctor .’

Christopher Healey .

Then , in January , one entry read : “ Anna has to have consequences for her actions .

“ She really screwed up , but she believes she can get away with what she ’ s done . Her judgement cometh , and that ’ s right soon .”

He later bought an icepick , a doubleedged hunting knife and a hunting axe , “ intending to use them to kill Dr Chaney ”, said Justice Whitby .

On 23 September , Mr Healey went to

Dr Anna Chaney .

Police at the Perth medical practice in 2022 .

Dr Chaney ’ s practice and asked when she would next be at work .

He then phoned the practice several times to confirm she would be there , the court heard .

That day , he brought the axe inside a large cardboard sleeve , concealed his face with a hat and mask and made his attempt to kill Dr Chaney .

Justice Whitby said the premeditation was “ significant and extremely disturbing ”. “ Dr Chaney had only shown you kindness in the course of caring for you as [ your ] doctor ,” she told Mr Healey .

“ The sentence I impose must send a clear message to the community that violence towards essential frontline healthcare workers will not be tolerated and that they are entitled to feel safe in performing their roles .”

Mr Healey , who is 55 , will be eligible for parole after 21 years .

In a statement , Dr Chaney thanked police , her colleagues and family for supporting her during the “ horrific ordeal ”.

“ After seeing many women who have survived violence through my medical career , this has again reinforced the urgent need for a whole-of-community approach to addressing gendered violence ,” she said .

“ Women should be able to feel safe — whether at home , at work or in the community .”