Father’s fear as the brutal killer of his daughter Courtney Herron prompts a late trial

The father of murdered Melbourne woman Courtney Herron has been reprimanded by a judge in the Supreme Court of Victoria as his daughter’s killer tried to suppress media coverage of the case.

Grieving father John Herron, who is also a criminal lawyer, appeared in court alongside lawyers from Daily Mail Australia on Monday to challenge a request by his daughter’s killer to withhold his name from the public.

Henry Hammond, 32, was charged with murder the day after Ms Herron’s body was found between tree trunks by three dog walkers in Parkville’s Royal Park, just outside Melbourne’s CBD, in 2019.

The 25-year-old had been beaten to death with a tree branch by Hammond before he tried to bury her body under piles of foliage.

He was found not guilty of murdering her due to an intellectual disability in August 2020 and was subsequently treated at Melbourne’s Thomas Embling Hospital.

On Monday, Hammond’s request to have his name removed from all media reports about his case was withdrawn at the last minute, making the hearing a formality.

But Judge Phillip Priest questioned Mr. Herron’s right to appear at the bar and his knowledge of the law.

Attorney John Herron with daughter Courtney Herron in happier times

He further criticized Mr Herron for failing to check the relevant legislation detailing whether or not he could sue him.

“Answer the question,” Judge Priest demanded. ‘You are a qualified lawyer.

“If you come here and ask to be heard, you need to know whether you have the right to be heard or not… I’m not sure why you’re sitting at the bar.”

Judge Priest also criticized a photo of Mr Herron with a portrait of his murdered daughter, which was published when details of the suppression application were announced.

“Can you explain to me why this is not contempt of this court? Go to the page with a photo of Mr. Herron holding a photo in his lap,” Judge Priest said.

John Herron in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday

The judge at the time declared Mr Herron’s comments ‘wrong’.

‘The article then goes on to quote some comments allegedly made by Mr. Herron. I assume they are accurate, but if they are accurate they are very inflammatory and some of it is completely wrong.”

Outside court, Mr Herron said that as a lawyer he had the right to appear in court to argue against the injunction application.

He described the withdrawal of Hammond’s application as “a victory for the community.”

“It haunts me that I have to re-read the evidence of her injuries,” he said.

‘But something very important that will always stay with me is what the police told me.

“It took her three minutes to die.”

Henry Hammond beat Courtney Herron to death

Hammond is seen at a dinner party on Thomas Embling’s release day

‘It’s almost inevitable. “There are very few patients at Thomas Embling serving a nominal 25-year sentence – probably a handful,” he said.

Last year, Daily Mail Australia revealed that Hammond enjoyed meals at his victim’s favorite restaurant just over two years after being placed in a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane.

‘He was photographed by friends of my daughter. So he’s doing that. What he is up to lately is for Thomas Embling to reveal,” Mr. Herron said.

Mr Herron said he was aware that Thomas Embling patients routinely enjoy unsupervised release.

“I know these people are gone, especially in that Fairfield area. They are out there working in the community without supervision,” he said.

Mr Herron said that as a victim of crime he was kept “in the dark” about how and why Hammond wanted his name suppressed from the public.

“Hearing about the killer’s release third-hand is just not good enough,” he said.

“The safety concerns for the community are unbelievable.”