He was kicked out of team sports for "thuggish behaviour", and at 13 discovered ice hockey.
"It was a fantastic outlet for my anger. Didn’t stop me though. I received a two-year ban from the ice rink and took up roller hockey instead."
Roller hockey didn't last either, with Hunter being banned for fighting with players and attacking his coaches.
He started smoking pot and drinking alcohol heavily.
This led to dealing various drugs, before sliding into an almost deadly addiction to meth.
“I had a few relationships while I was on meth and they were all about the drugs,” he said. “My abandonment issues stacked up with my addictions which made me needy and unreliable.”
After years of continuous meth abuse, he developed drug-induced psychosis, ending up in Hillmorton.
Hunter’s mum, Therese Spinks, said it was a mother’s worst nightmare.
“Every time I saw his number come up on my phone, my stomach would drop. When people knocked on the door, I would either think it was the police to tell me he was dead or someone looking for him."
Therese realised she had to step back from her son.
“I remember one day turning up at his place because I found out he had lied to me about something. He was raging at me and for the first time ever, I felt like he had the potential to hurt me," she said.
"I walked out and told him I was done. That was probably the hardest two weeks, having to ignore texts and phone calls. It was the best I could have done for him, and myself because it helped him hit his rock bottom.”
