Could beheading have been avoided?

Could beheading have been avoided?

By Liz Lockhart

It has emerged that the man accused of beheading Jennifer Mills-Westley was treated for psychiatric reasons in the UK last year.

Deyan Dyanov was in Britain visiting relatives when his behaviour became very erratic.  His relatives in Flint, North Wales contacted the police.  The police were concerned enough to have him assessed by professionals who then sectioned him and he was admitted to Glan Clwyd Hospital where he was monitored constantly.

One of Deyan’s ex girlfriends from Canterbury said "He told me he wanted to kill someone to see what it would be like to cut someone up.  He thought he was the Messiah.  I told him he wasn’t God and he was so angry.  I thought he was going to kill me."

Speaking on BBC Wales Today last night, Darren Miller the Conservative Shadow Health Minister at the Welsh Assembly expressed grave concern over the whole situation.  He said that government cut backs had resulted in the loss of beds at several North Wales hospitals including Glan Clwyd.  He wants to know whether these bed losses had any part to play in Dyanov’s release from the hospital last October.

Glan Clwyd Hospital is currently report ed to be reviewing their records to see that the proper procedures were followed .

We hear only too often of the tragic results of early or premature release of mental health patients.  Could this tragic and shocking death have been avoided with better care?

Labour MP Steve McCabe told the Sun newspaper "There must be an urgent inquiry to find how someone in psychiatric care can be released, travel abroad and carry out such a crime."

Our thoughts are with Jennifer Mills-Westley’s family at this time.  The circumstances of her tragic death has shocked the world and the shock is made all the worse when we consider if better mental health care could have made her death avoidable.

Relevant links

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10 year wait for therapy condemed

Mental ward 'a disaster zone', inquiry was told

Three-year-olds to be tested for mental health problems

Mental health awareness week 2011 - sleep matters

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