Woman gets £2m over near-drowning in school swimming lesson – The Guardian

‘A woman who won a judgment against her local authority after she nearly drowned during a school swimming lesson 16 years ago has been awarded £2m in compensation.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

I was held after reading a book on a plane – we need to rethink our terror laws – The Guardian

Posted August 16th, 2016 in aircraft, mental health, news, terrorism by sally

‘It has been an overwhelming few weeks, but the reaction to my book about Syria has raised important issues about the treatment of Muslims and how we tackle radicalisation.’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Peter Sutcliffe could be tried for attacks on up to 13 other victims – Daily Telegraph

‘Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe could face a new trial for a series of previously unsolved attacks on women.’
Full story

Daily Telegraph, 14th August 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Yorkshire Ripper: tribunal rules Peter Sutcliffe can be sent to mainstream prison – The Guardian

Posted August 12th, 2016 in appeals, mental health, murder, news, prisons, sentencing, tribunals by sally

‘The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, who murdered 13 women during the 1970s, may be released from Broadmoor, the secure psychiatric hospital, and sent to a mainstream prison after a tribunal concluded his mental illness was under control.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lee Arnold jailed for life for murder of Salford student William Lound – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted August 2nd, 2016 in drug abuse, mental health, murder, press releases, sentencing by sally

‘A 37-year-old man has been sentenced today at Minshull Street Crown Court to life imprisonment for the murder of William Lound, a Salford University student, who was stabbed to death in his flat in February 2016. He must serve a minimum of 23 years and four months in prison.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 1st August 2016

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Number of people dying after coming into contact with police rises sharply to 200 – The Independent

Posted July 28th, 2016 in complaints, death in custody, mental health, news, police, reports, statistics, suicide by sally

‘Some 200 people died during or following contact with police in the UK last year, according to new figures.
A report released by the Independent Police Complaints Commission reveals the number of deaths has risen 63 per cent in the last five years – with a spike of 37 per cent in the last year alone.’

Full story

The Independent, 26th July 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prison’s gross failures contributed to death of inmate, inquest finds – The Guardian

‘A catastrophic series of failures contributed to the death of a prisoner, who died after setting fire to his cell, an inquest jury ruled.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th July 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Divorced helicopter pilot who refuses to leave the marital home could be jailed – Daily Telegraph

‘A helicopter pilot who barricaded himself in the home he lost in his £6m divorce will be jailed if he does not get out of the property by next week.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 27th July 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Facing the Facts – Nearly Legal

Posted July 25th, 2016 in homelessness, housing, local government, mental health, news, suicide by sally

‘R (on the application of Hoyte) v London Borough of Southwark [2016] EWHC 1665 Admin is a useful decision of the High Court on the subject of repeat homelessness applications.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 25th July 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Tasers have no place in mental health care – The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2016 in bills, firearms, human rights, mental health, news by sally

‘For more than 10 years, Tasers have been used against patents in locked psychiatric settings, without monitoring or investigation. This practice must end.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th July 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pregnant mental health patient ‘pinned to floor’ – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2016 in hospitals, mental health, news, pregnancy, restraint by sally

‘A mental health trust has launched an investigation after a heavily pregnant patient was allegedly dragged from a seat and pinned to the floor by staff.’

Full story

BBC News, 16th July 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council “unreasonable” for refusing to accept third application for assistance – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 15th, 2016 in homelessness, housing, local government, mental health, news by sally

‘The London Borough of Southwark acted unlawfully when it had refused to accept a third application for homelessness assistance from applicant “JH”, the administrative court has found.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 13th July 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Bar mental health – Counsel

Posted July 13th, 2016 in alcoholism, barristers, legal profession, mental health, news, statistics by sally

‘Is the Bar doing enough to help protect barristers’ wellbeing? Grania Langdon-Down investigates the initiatives for change.’

Full story

Counsel, July 2016

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Mental Capacity Law Newsletter – 39 Essex Chambers

Posted July 12th, 2016 in mental health, news by sally

Mental Capacity Law Newsletter (PDF)

39 Essex Chambers, July 2016

Source: www.39essex.com

Man neglected by mental health services gets life sentence for manslaughter – The Guardian

Posted July 11th, 2016 in homicide, mental health, news, sentencing, social services by sally

‘A man who is mentally ill has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 10 years for killing a retired solicitor after their cars were involved in a minor collision.’

Full story

The Guardian, 8th July 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prisoners serving indefinite sentences have high self-harm rate – The Guardian

Posted June 23rd, 2016 in mental health, news, prisons, self-harm, sentencing, suicide by sally

‘The rate of self-harm among inmates serving indefinite prison sentences is more than double that among life-sentenced prisoners, according to new figures.’

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Myth buster: memories of trauma are engraved on the brain – Free Movement

Posted June 22nd, 2016 in asylum, immigration, mental health, news, psychiatric damage, refugees by sally

‘We tend to believe that the more important an experience, the more likely it is that it will be “engraved” on the brain. In the asylum system, this is maintained by decision makers who maintain the belief that a genuine victim of trauma will be particularly able to recall the traumatic event.’

Full story

Free Movement, 21st June 2016

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Mental health services missed chances to save suicidal teenager, coroner rules – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2016 in health, inquests, mental health, news, social services, suicide, young persons by sally

‘Social care agencies missed opportunities to help a 17-year-old girl who took her own life months after being removed from a child protection plan, a coroner has ruled. Katy Skerrett, the senior coroner for Gloucestershire, said there had been a lack of communication between mental health and social care professionals in the treatment provided to Anielka Jennings.’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Families separated for immigration purposes – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Last year 32,446 people subject to immigration control in the UK were detained by the government. Some had entered the country irregularly and were quickly removed. Others were detained pending removal or deportation. More than half of them were released back into the community, meaning that their detention had served no purpose.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 13th June 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Staffordshire County Council v K and others – WLR Daily

Staffordshire County Council v K and others [2016] EWCOP 27

‘An incapacitated adult (“K”), who had been severely injured in a road traffic accident, was awarded substantial damages in court proceedings which were used by his property and affairs deputy, a private trust corporation, to provide a specially adapted residence and to fund the regime of care and support provided by private sector providers. The local authority, having been informed of the arrangements for K’s care and the arrangements having been registered with the Care Quality Commission, applied to the Court of Protection for a welfare order under section 16 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The parties accepted that the arrangements constituted a deprivation of liberty satisfying two of three components of a deprivation of liberty within article 5 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, but the Secretary of State contended that the third component, namely the attribution of responsibility to the state, did not apply to the privately funded and arranged care regime (and to others in an equivalent position), so that the care regime could lawfully be put in place without a welfare order being made under the Act.’

WLR Daily, 25th May 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk