Killings blamed on policy 'failings'

The Department of Health is criticised in the report

An inquiry into how three mental health patients were allowed to carry out killings has concluded that government policies were to blame.

A 144-page report about the three Hampshire men says they were failed by a lack of financial investment in resources and mistakes in their care.

The independent review, commissioned by North and Mid Hants Health Authority and released on Tuesday, also criticises Hampshire County Council for the deaths inflicted by Mark Longman, Paul Huntingford and Christopher Moffatt, between 1996 and 1998.

The government and the county council of the day must accept responsibility for consequences arising from ... their funding decisions

Inquiry report

Mr Huntingford, now 60, killed his mother Lena on 23 December 1997, as he attempted to exorcise her after becoming convinced she was possessed by Satan.

Mr Longman, 31, had been discharged from hospital near Basingstoke in January 1995, before killing his father Kenneth by setting fire to him at their home.

The report said Mr Moffatt had absconded from Parklands Hospital in Basingstoke in February 1998, before stabbing Anthony Harrison to death, later that year.

Mr Moffatt was later convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility before he committed suicide.

Inquiry chairman Anselm Eldergill

The report said: "The consequence of all this was that local people did not have the benefit of a comprehensive or adequate range of mental health services during the period covered by our review.

"In our opinion, inadequate resources require families and professional carers to accept risks which they ought not to have had to bear.

"The government and the county council of the day must accept responsibility for consequences arising from, or associated with their funding decisions."

'Powerful indictment'

In response to the report Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, called for families of patients to stop being victimised by badly thought-out care policies.

She said: "This report is one of the most powerful indictments yet of the belief that everyone, however disturbed, can be adequately treated in the community.

Improvements since the killings

24% increase in expenditure on mental health services by Hampshire County Council

North and Mid Hampshire Health Authority spending increased by 44%

Secure intensive care beds now available

Improved risk assessments of patients' danger to others

"It puts a huge question mark over the policy and the way in which it has been interpreted that everyone, no matter how severely disturbed, should be able to be in the community or in small acute units which were never designed for long term care."

Mr Huntingford and Mr Longman are at present detained under the Mental Health Act.

The report states that since the killings took place 67 steps have been taken by Hampshire County Council and Surrey-Hampshire Borders NHS Trust to try and ensure that no further deaths occur.

These include a 24% increase in expenditure on mental health services by the Council since 1997-98, while spending by North and Mid Hampshire Health Authority has increased by 44% from the same period.

Secure intensive care beds are now available and there are better risk assessments of patients to see whether they are a danger to others.