Judge may call minister to court

John Reid may be called to court by the judge

A judge is considering summonsing the health secretary to court to explain why the NHS has not assessed a mentally ill defendant who attacked an eight-year-old boy.

Lisa Johnson had admitted carrying out the random hammer attack on the boy when she appeared in court in February 2002.

The 32-year-old from Horley, Surrey, who told police voices had told her to go out and kill a child, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, but guilty to wounding.

Judge Jeremy Roberts indicated because of the seriousness of the crime, Johnson faced a life sentence in jail or should be sent to a psychiatric unit indefinitely.

It is simply not acceptable that matters should have dragged on due to the inability of the authorities to take the steps that clearly need to be taken

Judge Jeremy Roberts

Johnson has appeared four times for sentence, but on Monday the Old Bailey judge had to adjourn the case again when it emerged she had still not been assessed by the NHS.

The judge said he hoped he would not have to summon the health secretary, John Reid, before the court to explain the delays.

He said: "I am sure the secretary of state has better things to do than appear before this court.

"It is simply not acceptable that matters should have dragged on due to the inability of the authorities to take the steps that clearly need to be taken.

"This is not the first case and won't be the last when these problems have arisen and a judge has to make observations about this unsatisfactory situation.

"There is an increasing number of defendants in these courts who do suffer from mental problems of one kind or the other and need places in secure units."

Johnson is currently being held in Holloway Prison.