Family of schizophrenic man who battered dad to death slam NHS

Nov 5 2008 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

The worried family eventually decided to move volatile Richard into care in the community after his mental illness took hold in 2003 and he became increasingly agitated and violent towards his devout father.

Melissa said: “He was confused. It was like he was torn between wanting to please dad but not knowing how he felt about his religion.It really messed him up and it was a massive part of his problem.”

The family are now demanding to know why their ill brother was not officially diagnosed with schizophrenia until after dad Eddie’s brutal death.

Supermarket worker Robert, who witnessed his sibling delivering the final stamps to his father’s head, said:

“He was assigned a CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse), but she wouldn’t take him seriously and said that he just wasn’t trying.

“She was supposed to pay him regular visits, but she eventually stopped going.

“She even told my mum that she didn’t think she was right for the job and, when she left, she didn’t even assign anyone else to my brother.

“He stopped washing. He would wet himself in bed and his room was a state.

“It left him vulnerable and we know the other patients would bully him.

“They tricked him into giving his money away and completely took advantage of him.”