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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...rist-tells-court/story-fn59niix-1226966227143
PETER Slipper feels worthless, is unemployed, struggling with alcohol and his marriage has broken down, a court has heard.
The former federal member for the Queensland seat of Fisher is facing the ACT Magistrate’s Court to hear whether the fraud charges against him will be dropped on mental health grounds.
Mr Slipper has pleaded not guilty to three charges he dishonestly used about $1000 worth of Cabcharge vouchers to take a taxpayer-funded wine-tasting tour of Canberra in 2010, before he became House of Representatives Speaker.
Queensland psychiatrist Christopher Martin today told the court Mr Slipper had an ongoing “major depressive disorder” that included suicidal thoughts.
During proceedings it became apparent Mr Slipper’s marriage had broken down.
Dr Martin told the court Mrs Slipper had moved to Toowoomba to take up a residential position at a school and did not want Mr Slipper to move with her.
“While ostensibly the marriage continues there is not a great deal of contact between them,” Dr Martin said. “The contact appears to be acrimonious and there is no actual reason Mr Slipper can’t stay with Mrs Slipper in her accommodation ... but she refuses to have him stay with her.”
He said to an outsider the marriage looked to be “under real strain” or had “reached separation”.
Mr Slipper and his wife Inge married in 2006 at a high-profile wedding attended by Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.
Mr Slipper was consuming between one and two bottles of alcohol each day when he first met Dr Martin in May 2013, the court heard.
His parents, children and siblings have also been “distressed” and impacted by the legal proceedings.
The court heard Mr Slipper is currently unemployed and struggling financially.
Mr Slipper has been an inpatient of a Queensland mental health facility, which cannot be named for legal reasons, as recently as two weeks ago, and attempted suicide twice in the early months of 2013, Dr Martin said.
“The fall from grace he has had from his public office means he is a subject of ridicule and contempt ... He really doesn’t feel he has any future in terms of his close relationships or in finding employment,” Dr Martin said.
“Mr Slipper has developed extremely negative evaluations of himself in the context of what’s happened to him. He feels as though he’s a worthless human being, someone who has brought shame on himself and his family.”
Mr Slipper has been an inpatient at the Queensland hospital on five separate occasions between May 2013 and this month. He was last discharged on June 10.
Dr Martin said Mr Slipper had started to spend “much more time with his family” and “trusted friends” recently but still finds public interaction “extremely difficult”.
The psychiatrist said there was some ongoing risk of suicide.
Dr Martin said his last consultation with Mr Slipper was on June 17 and said the former politician told him he planned on killing himself between then and now.
“At that time the Mr Ashby matter was still pending ... at that time Mr Slipper said he was very likely to kill himself in the interim,” Dr Martin said.
“(If this application fails) he’s likely to become more anxious, more despondent, he’s likely to contemplate ending his life perhaps with greater frequency than before.”
Mr Slipper put out a press release on June 18 after James Ashby dropped his sexual harassment case against him, saying he felt “vindicated” by the decision.
Mr Ashby launched legal action in April 2012 accusing Mr Slipper of sexual harassment and breach of contract.
Mr Ashby said he was confident he had stopped Mr Slipper’s behaviour and noted the former speaker was “mentally unwell”.
Mr Slipper appeared in court today with a black cast on his right arm.
The court heard Mr Slipper had resorted to alcohol as a coping mechanism and broods over his situation “almost endlessly”.
“He’s been very reluctant to mix with other patients in the ward because he expects to be negatively viewed by those people,” Dr Martin said.
“He still finds that extremely difficult and he still expects to be seen negatively by the public and dreads interactions of ordinary life with them.”
The prosecution alleges Mr Slipper’s travel on the three days in question was for personal, not parliamentary, purposes.
Mr Slipper is a former Queensland Nationals and Liberal MP, holding the seat of Fisher for two decades until defeated at the election last September.
The application continues.
