Stressed Dad Was Told To Shift Jobs
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday April 27, 2005
THE father who committed Monday's murder-suicide at Oak Flats had shifted jobs under doctor's orders to work in a less-stressful environment.
Stephen James, 40, and his son Jack, 5, were found shot dead inside their home at The Boulevarde.It is believed the CityRail station manager had transferred to the northern suburbs after leaving Port Kembla on doctor's orders about two years ago.Austinmer is the last station Mr James is understood to have worked at before his death. A workmate said Mr James had not been dealing well with the anti-social element that passed through Port Kembla station.He said around the time Mr James left, Port Kembla station had been frequented by drug-users who often caused trouble for railway staff."He had some time off work, and his doctor said he shouldn't work at that particular station because of its environment," he said."The doctor recommended he work at a different location - he's been working at the northern stations and was actually enjoying it up there."The times I spoke to him in the last few months I thought he was pretty good. I don't know much about his private life, but as far as his work life was concerned he seemed to be getting on top of things."The workmate said the quietly-spoken Mr James' involvement in Monday's tragedy had come as a complete shock to his colleagues."You could think of blokes who might do something like that, but Steve wasn't one of them - for this to happen all of a sudden is a complete shock," he said. "I was shocked when I got a phone call last night saying that Steve had just shot himself - all the blokes were shocked because he was such a quiet person. If you were standing here talking to him or on the phone you'd always have to ask him to speak up he was so quiet."Working with him we didn't really know about his private life, but he was someone good to talk to and never bad-mouthed anyone."Interim post mortem results yesterday revealed that father and son died of gun shot wounds.Police confirmed on Monday that Mr James was a licensed gun owner, but neighbours said Sharon James had recently attempted to clear all guns out of the couple's Oak Flats home.Her husband had developed a love for shooting at an early age, joining the Illawarra Regional Shooting Association, based at Dapto, when he was a teenager.Association secretary Colin Fraser said yesterday Mr James was a junior member of the club and went shooting with his father, but had not been an active member for some years.Oak Flats Public School principal Greg Wells would not comment on the loss of Jack, a kindergarten student. A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said counselling would be offered when school resumed today."The school will be providing counselling for any students, staff or parents who feel they need it," she said.NSW Police spokesman Acting Senior Sergeant John Klepczarek said police were preparing a report for the coroner and full post-mortem results would be available in one or two weeks.
© 2005 Illawarra Mercury