Latest news with #paranoidschizophrenia
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment escaped psychiatric patient is caught by police after beating church warden to death with golf umbrella
This is the moment a patient who escaped from a secure psychiatric unit and went on to beat a grandmother to death was caught by police. David Parish, 38, ran away from a mental health hospital in Taunton, Somerset after a door was left open and brutally attacked 'beloved' churchwarden Beryl Purdy, 86, with a makeshift weapon. Before the attack, he locked Mrs Purdy's husband, Peter, in the kitchen of their home in the village of Broomfield, Somerset. Mrs Purdy, known as 'Bez', tried to defend herself from the large golf umbrella he had taken from her garden but tragically suffered fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene on March 27, 2023. Parish was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia caused by smoking cannabis and had been detained temporarily under the Mental Health Act at the Rydon Ward in Taunton. At Bristol Crown Court on Friday (May 23), Parish was jailed for six years, after previously pleading guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. And now, Avon and Somerset Police have released body-worn camera footage of the moment the killer was caught. In the video, officers stop Parish on a dark country road and ask what he is doing in the area. Parish gives his name as 'James' and claims he works at a nearby farm. An officer then handcuffs Parish - telling him it's 'a bit strange [he's] up in the hills' given a recent incident in the area. He then detains Parish, who does not resist, and searches him. During Parish's sentencing at Bristol Crown Court, Honorable Mr Justice Saini told him: 'You killed Beryl Purdy, having attacked her in her own home with a large golfing umbrella. 'She was not known to you, and at the time you killed her, you had been able to walk out of a secure hospital unit where you had been detained under section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983. 'I have had read to me the moving victim impact statements from Mrs Purdy's husband of 63 years, Peter. 'He has suffered the loss of his lifetime partner and best friend, known to him and her friends as Bez. 'He is reminded of the incident every time he goes into the room where she was found. This leaves him with anger and sadness and more recently, loneliness, to contend with every day. 'His loss is unimaginable. 'Nick, their son, describes how distressing it was to lose his mother because a door was left unlocked - and a man who should have been detained was able to enter his parents' home and kill his mother in such a violent manner..' The court heard how Parish - who at the time was residing in a psychiatric unit at Wellsprings Hospital in Taunton - had absconded from the ward and made his way to the nearby village of Broomfield. After leaving the unit, Parish went to a nearby barber and had his hair cut short and his beard shaved off. Prosecutor Anna Vigars KC told the court how Parish then tried to pull a man from a car as he drove away from the car park in Fyne Court, a National Trust property in Somerset, but had been unsuccessful. A short time later, Parish gained access to a home nearby. It was then that he brutally killed Mrs Purdy. According to prosecutor Vigars, when Mrs Purdy was found, her head was 'covered in blood to the extent that it was difficult to see what her actual injuries were.' Following Parish's sentencing, Mrs Purdy's family described her as a 'beloved wife, mother, and granny' - said they were 'serving a life sentence of torment' knowing they were 'unable to save' her. They said in a statement: 'We would like to thank the police for their meticulous work in proving who was responsible for the brutal and fatal attack on our beloved wife, mother, and granny, Bez Purdy.' Mrs Purdy's family then criticised the jail term, calling for tougher protections for the public. 'We are serving a life sentence of torment knowing that we were unable to save Bez from her attacker and the outcome of sentencing today also means that her attacker avoids a life sentence. 'We would not wish our hell on any other family and urge for a review of how the community can be protected from people with severe mental health issues.' Meanwhile, in a statement released at the time of Mrs Purdy's death, they said: 'As a family, we are devastated to have lost a dearly loved wife, mother, and granny. 'Bez was a caring person who would help anyone in need and was very much part of the village, being a church warden for 20 years. 'We will miss her very much and we are all struggling to understand why this happened to such a lovely person.' The father-of-two's mental health had deteriorated following the breakdown of his marriage in 2021. The court heard that Parish believed he was receiving messages from birds and that he was under threat from people outside his home. Ms Vigars told the court that after leaving the unit, Parish travelled to the vicinity of Mrs Purdy's home. Her body was discovered behind the freezer by a neighbour after her husband raised the alarm he had been trapped in the kitchen by Parish. 'He then noticed two feet with black shoes on sticking out from behind the displaced fridge freezer,' Mrs Vigars said. 'He went to investigate and found that the feet belonged to the body of Mrs Purdy, which was crumpled against the wall with a washing basket on top of her. 'Mrs Purdy's head was covered in blood to the extent that it was difficult to see what her actual injuries were.' The day before the attack, Parish was assessed under the Mental Health Act and detained at the Rydon Ward in Taunton. 'It was there that his parents went to visit him on Monday March 27,' Mrs Vigars said. 'Mr Parish seemed to them to be calmer. After a little time of family chat, Mr Parish said he wanted to use the toilet and he left his parents. 'He didn't return to his parents and they raised the alarm with staff at reception. 'Staff apologised, telling the family that the front door to the unit should have been locked, that the police had been alerted to the disappearance and that Mr Parish had been reported as a missing person.' The court heard an investigation is underway into the circumstances of how Parish was able to leave the unit.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Psychiatric patient who escaped secure unit and beat church warden, 86, to death with a golf umbrella is jailed
A patient who ran away from a secure psychiatric unit and beat an elderly church warden to death with a large golf umbrella has been jailed for six years. David Parish, 38, randomly hit Beryl Purdy, 86, over the head with the makeshift weapon taken from her porch on March 27, 2023. Before the attack, he locked Mrs Purdy's husband, Peter, in the kitchen of their home in the village of Broomfield, Somerset. Parish was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia caused by smoking cannabis and had been detained temporarily under the Mental Health Act at the Rydon Ward in Taunton. However, Bristol Crown Court heard he had been able to leave the unit on the day of the attack after the front door was left unlocked. The judge, Mr Justice Pushpinder Saini, sentenced Parish to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty in January to manslaughter by diminished responsibility. Mrs Purdy's family criticised the jail term in a statement on Friday, calling for tougher protection of the public. It read: 'We are serving a life sentence of torment knowing that we were unable to save Bez from her attacker and the outcome of sentencing today also means that her attacker avoids a life sentence. 'We would not wish our hell on any other family and urge for a review of how the community can be protected from people with severe mental health issues.' Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting, told the court that after leaving the unit, Parish travelled to the vicinity of Mrs Purdy's home. Her body was discovered behind the freezer by a neighbour after her husband raised the alarm he had been trapped in the kitchen by Parish. 'He then noticed two feet with black shoes on sticking out from behind the displaced fridge freezer,' Mrs Vigars said. 'He went to investigate and found that the feet belonged to the body of Mrs Purdy, which was crumpled against the wall with a washing basket on top of her. 'Mrs Purdy's head was covered in blood to the extent that it was difficult to see what her actual injuries were.' A post-mortem examination found Mrs Purdy had died from blunt force trauma head injuries consistent with the use of the umbrella. At a previous hearing, Parish, from Bridgwater, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The father-of-two's mental health had deteriorated following the breakdown of his marriage in 2021. The court heard that Parish believed he was receiving messages from birds and that he was under threat from people outside his home. The day before the attack, he was assessed under the Mental Health Act and detained at the Rydon Ward in Taunton. 'It was there that his parents went to visit him on Monday March 27,' Mrs Vigars said. 'Mr Parish seemed to them to be calmer. After a little time of family chat, Mr Parish said he wanted to use the toilet and he left his parents. 'He didn't return to his parents and they raised the alarm with staff at reception. 'Staff apologised, telling the family that the front door to the unit should have been locked, that the police had been alerted to the disappearance and that Mr Parish had been reported as a missing person.' The court heard an investigation is underway into the circumstances of how Parish was able to leave the unit. The judge, Mr Justice Saini, asked: 'What accountability has there been for the hospital that allowed Mr Parish to walk out? It is not Mr Parish's fault that he left. 'He was clearly meant to be detained under section two of the Mental Health Act. What's happened?' Mrs Vigars replied: 'As I understand it, there is an ongoing investigation. It may well be that the conclusion of this process will allow that process to make some progress.' In a victim impact statement, Mr Purdy said he and his family had been let down by the NHS. 'My lifetime partner and best friend, Bez Purdy, was brutally attacked and killed in our home,' he said. 'I'm reminded of the incident every time I enter the room where she was found, which leaves me with anger and sadness, and more recently, loneliness to contend with every day. 'I miss my wife terribly and wish we could share the memories we had over the 64 years of marriage that we shared.' Mr Purdy said he was temporarily living in a care home while he recovered from injuries sustained in recent falls but planned to return home. 'I'm nervous to return home, knowing that one day Bez's attacker will be released back into the local community,' he said. 'I feel let down by the NHS and the mistakes that were made that led to the death of Bez and the length of time it's taken to sentence the man that killed her. 'These are all troubling events on top of the grief and sense of loss I experience every day.' The couple's son, Nick, said his mother's death has had a 'lasting and damaging impact' on all members of the family. 'Hearing that someone had brutally attacked Bez in her home was distressing enough,' he said. 'To then learn that she died from her injuries was unbearable. Nothing can prepare you for that news.' He added: 'We will for ask the reassurance that what we've suffered could not possibly happen to anyone else.' Adam Vaitilingam KC, defending, said Parish's mental health had stabilised and he was no longer on medication. 'He feels intense shame about what he did and genuine remorse for what happened,' he said. 'He should have been and could have been kept secure, and in our submission, that is an important mitigating factor as well.' Parish was jailed for six years and told he would serve at least two-thirds of the sentence in custody before he could apply for parole. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Saini said: 'You killed Beryl Purdy when you attacked her in her own home with a large golfing umbrella. 'You had been detained in the unit under section two of the Mental Health Act and you should not have been able to leave the hospital. 'The psychiatric experts agreed that at the time you killed Mrs Purdy, you were in an episode of schizophrenic psychosis that reduces what would be murder to manslaughter. 'Your psychosis was, however, precipitated by the use of cannabis. 'Mr Purdy's health has meant he cannot be here. He is reminded of the incident every time he goes into the room where she was found. 'Their son, Nick Purdy, has described how distressing it is to lose his mother because the door was left unlocked, and a man who should have been detained was able to enter his parents' home and kill his mother in such a violent way.' Speaking after the sentence, Detective Inspector Debbie Hatch said: 'This was a deeply tragic incident in which Bez lost her life in the most distressing of circumstances inside her own home. 'This case highlights the complex intersection between mental health and criminal justice.' A spokesman for the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the mental health unit, said: 'Our thoughts are with both families at what we realise will be a very difficult time. 'As is standard practice with tragic incidents like this, we conducted a full root cause analysis investigation to understand and review the unit's environment, to identify if there are any areas of learning that we can take forward for our future care and support to patients and families. 'This includes a review of security arrangements on Rydon ward, where appropriate changes have been made.'
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Telegraph
Escaped psychiatric patient killed church warden with golf umbrella
An escaped psychiatric patient killed a church warden with a golf umbrella in March 2023, a court heard. David Parish, 38, randomly attacked Beryl Purdy with an umbrella he had taken from her porch and inflicted fatal head injuries. Before the attack, Parish had locked Mrs Purdy's husband, Peter, in the kitchen of their home in Broomfield, near Bridgwater, Somerset. Parish was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia caused by smoking cannabis, and had been detained temporarily under the Mental Health Act at the Rydon Ward in Taunton. Mrs Purdy's body was discovered after her husband had alerted a neighbour. It was another neighbour who found her body behind the freezer. 'He then noticed two feet with black shoes on sticking out from behind the displaced fridge freezer,' said Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting. 'He went to investigate and found that the feet belonged to the body of Mrs Purdy, which was crumpled against the wall with a washing basket on top of her. 'Mrs Purdy's head was covered in blood to the extent that it was difficult to see what her actual injuries were.' A post-mortem examination found that the 86-year-old Mrs Purdy had died from blunt force trauma head injuries consistent with the use of the umbrella. At a previous hearing, Parish, of Halyard Drive, Bridgwater, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Messages from birds The father-of-two's mental health had deteriorated following the breakdown of his marriage in 2021. The court heard that Parish believed he was receiving messages from birds, and that he was under threat from people outside his home. The court heard an investigation is under way into the circumstances of how Parish was able to leave the unit. The judge, Mr Justice Saini, asked: 'What accountability has there been for the hospital that allowed Mr Parish to walk out? It is not Mr Parish's fault that he left. 'He was clearly meant to be detained under section two of the Mental Health Act. What's happened?' In a victim impact statement, Mr Purdy said that he and his family had been let down by the NHS. 'Anger and sadness' 'My lifetime partner and best friend, Bez Purdy, was brutally attacked and killed in our home,' he said. 'I'm reminded of the incident every time I enter the room where she was found, which leaves me with anger and sadness, and more recently, loneliness to contend with every day. 'I miss my wife terribly and wish we could share the memories made over 64 years of marriage.' The couple's son, Nick, said his mother's death has had a 'lasting and damaging impact' on all members of the family. Adam Vaitilingam KC, defending, said Parish's mental health had stabilised and he was no longer on medication. 'Intense shame' 'He feels intense shame about what he did and genuine remorse for what happened,' he said. Parish was jailed for six years and told that he would serve at least two-thirds of the sentence in custody before he could apply for parole. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Saini said: 'You killed Beryl Purdy when you attacked her in her own home with a large golfing umbrella. 'You had been detained in the unit under section two of the Mental Health Act and you should not have been able to leave the hospital.'
Times
23-05-2025
- Health
- Times
NHS trust patients stabbed public before Valdo Calocane killings
Two patients under the care of the same NHS trust as the Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane stabbed members of the public weeks before his fatal attacks, it has emerged. Josef Easom-Cooper and Junior Dietlin, who have paranoid schizophrenia, stabbed six men in separate attacks in Nottinghamshire in 2023. Weeks later Calocane, who also has the condition, killed Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both university students, and Ian Coates, a caretaker, on June 13, 2023. In response to the revelations by the BBC, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which was previously criticised for its care of Calocane, has apologised to those 'affected for any aspects of our care that were not of the high standard our patients deserve'. Easom-Cooper stabbed a member of the congregationleaving an
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Suffolk man's death from fall in Great Yarmouth 'misadventure'
A man who fell from a building died as a result of misadventure, an inquest determined. Tom James, 26, died at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, in June 2024 - 15 days after falling from a building in Great Yarmouth. Over a week-long inquest at Norfolk Coroner's Court, a jury found that his death was a result of misadventure but noted that his diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia would have "contributed" to his in the week, the inquest heard that Mr James, who was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, had a history of mental health issues. The court heard that Mr James had been out on two hours of unescorted leave from Northgate Hospital in the town, where he was a patient, at the time of the after the inquest, his brother Michael described Mr James as having a "happy, cheeky smile."Area coroner Samantha Goward praised the family for listening to "the worst of evidence with incredible dignity".His medical cause of death was recorded as traumatic brain injury and adult respiratory distress syndrome after an unwitnessed fall. If you have been affected by this story, you can find organisations which offer help, support and information at the BBC Action Line Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
