Unit Released `Dangerous' Killer; Carers Had Not Seen Psychiatric Patient for Five Months before Murder, Says Report

A psychiatric patient who battered a neighbour to death in a row over a coat had not been seen by his carers for five months, according to a report published yesterday. Eight months before he murdered 42-year-old Mr David Spencer, Daniel Holden was discharged from a psychiatric unit after a stay of only 12 days, at a time when he was "angry and potentially dangerous", it said. And the former paranoid schizophrenic was known to be abusing alcohol and drugs, but was not referred to the local abuse service in east Lancashire, the report added. No care plan for him had been drawn up and he was discharged from the unit because staff thought he was "large and threatening", said the report. …

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Publication information: Article title: Unit Released `Dangerous' Killer; Carers Had Not Seen Psychiatric Patient for Five Months before Murder, Says Report. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: The Birmingham Post (England). Publication date: January 21, 1999. Page number: 7. © 2009 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd. COPYRIGHT 1999 Gale Group.

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