A 57-year-old dementia sufferer accused of attempting to murder his wife will remain in prison indefinitely because a Perth judge believes he may attack her and other members of his family again. Viet Ky Truong has been ruled unfit to ever stand trial over allegations he tried to smother his wife of 20 years with a blanket at the family’s Girrawheen home last July. He then allegedly attacked her with a dumbbell, an axe and a knife. Truong was also accused of trying to hit his teenage daughter with the dumbbell when she tried to intervene in the alleged attack — sparked by the “delusional” belief his wife was being unfaithful. His wife suffered multiple injuries, including a fracture to the head and a laceration to the mouth. The Supreme Court was told Truong had been diagnosed as suffering from dementia, with doctors saying it was progressive, incurable and would eventually lead to him becoming incapacitated. The law currently allows a judge to do only two things when a person is declared unfit to stand trial — to release them unconditionally or to order that they remain in custody. Truong’s lawyer Ian Hope said his client should be released, arguing prison was not the appropriate setting to manage his medical needs.
