The Tate Tragedy

I’m sure most people heard of the sickening attack on a young boy at the Tate Modern in 2019 – I don’t intend to cover the details as they are widely available elsewhere. Trigger warning for the hyperlink that follows: this post intends to focus on nothing other than the key decision for the judge […]

Playing the Mental Health Card

I spent the first hour of my Saturday responding to all the ill-informed comments on the Northumbria Police facebook page, after their media release following the sentencing of Ethan Mountain at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday. He was convicted earlier this month of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility after unlawfully killing 62yr-old Joan Hoggett […]

The Forensic Route

When we hear mental health professionals talking about someone going ‘down the forensic route’, they mean a patient with healthcare needs being managed under Part III of the Mental Health Act 1983. This Part of the Act includes all those sections from 35 to 55 and it covers a range of provisions for the criminal […]