News
Man who killed parents denied referral to specialist service
An inquest has found that there were “significant time lapses” in mental health treatment for a man who killed his parents during a psychotic episode.
James Andrews, known to his family as Duncan, killed Mary, 76, and Bryan Andrews, 79, at their home in Terrey Road, Totley, in Sheffield, in November 2022.
Senior coroner Tanyka Rawden was told on Wednesday that he was denied a referral to specialist services after complaining of episodes thought to have been brought on by epileptic seizures.
Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust’s interim medical director, Helen Crimlisk, told the hearing that “a number of changes” had been made since the tragedy.
Ms Rawden said: “Had there been regular and appropriate interaction between services, and had the early intervention service referral been accepted, it is possible that treatment could have been given.”
Andrews was given an indefinite hospital order in July 2023 after he admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The court heard how he had accessed mental health services in November 2011 when he suffered a seizure, leading to him feeling paranoid.
Andrews had complained about having psychotic episodes, including suicidal thoughts, and told a helpline “something serious is going to happen”, said Dr Jonathan Mitchell, consultant psychiatrist.
Giving evidence, Professor Markus Reuber, honorary consultant at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said those who were epileptic were more likely to be depressed and it was “extremely common” for people to have mental health issues such as anxiety after seizures.
All anti-seizure medication, such as that which Andrews had been prescribed during treatment, has side effects which could include depression, the court was told.
A referral to Sheffield Health and Social Care’s early intervention team was refused in mid-2022.
This decision meant an opportunity to identify whether Andrews’ psychotic episodes were persistent was missed, the inquest in Sheffield heard.
This referral could have helped Andrews be given different treatment, the coroner said.
It is believed that two days before Andrews killed his parents he had four seizures, a report from doctors at the secure unit he was staying at stated.
At the time of the killings, he was likely to be suffering from postictal psychosis, a mental health condition after a seizure where the person can have aggressive outbursts, Prof Reuber said.
There were “clearly structural problems” in the way notes between mental health teams and neurology teams were shared, the consultant added.
This meant doctors prescribing medication might not know that some patients have mental health conditions unless they are specifically told, Prof Reuber added.
The coroner said there was a concern around communication between services at the trust, especially looking at “the relationship diagnosis of epilepsy and psychotic symptoms” with Andrews.
“This led to significant time lapses between treatment, and rejection to services, most notably the early intervention service.”
A prevention of future deaths report would be sent to Sheffield Health and Social Care looking at the communication between services, “in particular between psychiatrists and neurology”, Ms Rawden said.
Mr and Mrs Andrews’ daughters Sally and Lucie read out a family statement outside the coroner’s court.
They described their father as a “true Yorkshireman” who loved ballroom dancing, while their mother was a “people person” who made lunches for elderly neighbours.
Together they were called “a team of enviable strength”.
The sisters found their parents fatally injured at their home.
Sally told the court there was “some comfort that we, including Duncan, were there together for one final time”.
“They would have been absolutely devastated that day,” she added.
Speaking on a video link from a secure hospital, James Duncan Andrews said: “I loved my parents right to the end. I wish this had never happened.”
He thanked his sisters for their support during the inquest.
“We are deeply sorry for the tragic loss of Bryan and Mary Andrews in November 2022, and our heartfelt sympathies remain with their family,” Ms Crimlisk, from the NHS trust, said.
“All those involved with Duncan’s care have taken immediate steps to learn from this tragedy. We have already made a number of changes and we will continue to make improvements to address the concerns highlighted through the inquest process.”
The coroner recorded a conclusion that Mr and Mrs Andrews were unlawfully killed.
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
News
Keir Starmer will vow to unlock thousands of new jobs in major new green energy project in North of England
PM SIR Keir Starmer will tomorrow vow to unlock thousands of new jobs with a green energy project in the North.
Alongside Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, he will argue “the tides of industry are turning before us” and “now is the time to invest in the jobs and technology of the future”.
Labour research shows 10,000 fewer onshore wind jobs were delivered under the Tories, with 2,500 renewable energy projects blocked in the past five years alone.
Ahead of the announcement, Industry Minister Sarah Jones said: “The Tory chokehold on infrastructure, planning and development is over.
“Labour will use our mandate to take on the blockers stealing the future from our children.
“We will get on with building the projects that the British public voted for and, in doing so, we will spur on our project of national renewal in a loud declaration that Britain is once again open for business.”
Bills would be slashed by £300 a year under Labour’s plans for a publicly-owned clean energy company, Sir Keir Starmer insisted in June.
At a factory in Cheshire, the PM confirmed GB Energy would ensure hefty prices drop by 2030.
He said: “GB Energy will drive down bills.
“It gives us energy independence because the UK currently relies on international markets, which is why the energy prices have faced a harder hit than other countries.
Sir Keir added that it would “take time” for hard-up households to see the benefits of GB Energy, but ministers were “moving at pace” to guarantee a fall in the price of power by the end of the current parliament.
Asked if he stands by Labour’s promise to slash bills specifically by £300, the PM said: “Yes I do – I stand by everything in my manifesto.
“We have already taken action in week one in relation to onshore wind, in relation to solar energy and also pushing on with nuclear.
“So I stand by that commitment.”
The PM also announced his new state-owned energy company would team up with the Crown Estate to begin developing monster offshore wind farms.
The monarchy’s property empire owns almost all of Britain’s seabed and leases it to wind farm operators.
News
Debris of Iranian missiles are seen in the West Bank
People could be seen taking photos and climbing on the remains of an Iranian missile on Wednesday. Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel caused few casualties and little damage, but it marked a further escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
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“Aircrafted by Emirates” launches limited-edition Neo collection
This sustainable initiative follows Emirates’ successful “Aircrrafted by Emirates” up-cycled items collection. By repurposing materials, Emirates reduces waste and supports its partner, Team New Zealand, in their shared commitment to excellence and innovation.
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Want Radiant Skin? Here’s How Many Walnuts You Should Eat Each Day
Walnuts aren’t just a delicious snack—they’re also a skin-boosting powerhouse!
Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and essential vitamins, these nuts can help reduce inflammation, improve skin firmness, and give your complexion a radiant glow.
How Many Walnuts for Maximum Beauty Benefits?
While there’s no exact number for a beauty boost, nutrition expert Antonia recommends a small handful—around 30 grams—per day.
This is a perfect amount to enjoy the skin benefits without overdoing it.
Walnuts are nutrient-dense, so even a small serving can work wonders for your complexion!
Business
Singapore’s former transport minister sentenced to one year in prison
US stocks eked out slight gains, with Wall Street appearing in a generally cautious mood against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East.
The S&P 500 closed less than 0.1 per cent higher on Wednesday, with the energy, technology and financial sectors emerging as the benchmark index’s best performers.
Investors bought energy stocks as the conflict in the Middle East continued to support the price of oil. Shares in industry leaders ExxonMobil and Chevron added 1.3 and 0.8 per cent, respectively.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, settled 0.5 per cent higher at $73.90 a barrel.
The Nasdaq Composite added 0.1 per cent, with Apple and Nvidia the only members of the “Magnificent Seven” group of tech stocks to advance.
The yield on the policy-sensitive 2-year Treasury note added almost 0.02 percentage points to 3.63 per cent.
News
Anna Richardson’s angry, honest film lays bare the relentless cruelty of dementia
Earlier this year, full-time carer Mary hid all the knives in her home. Her husband Richard, nine years after his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s aged 55, had become angry and unpredictable. For the first time, Mary, a former fashion designer, was scared of him. Over the course of two quick weeks, it became apparent that it was no longer safe for her to live in the same house and in August, she made the heartbreaking decision to move him into a care home.
Mary and Richard’s story was one of several told in Channel 4’s hour-long documentary Anna Richardson: Love, Loss & Dementia. Best known for her work presenting headline-grabbing shows on provocative subjects like Naked Attraction and The Sex Education Show, Richardson wanted to shine a light on what she views as another taboo topic: dementia. “We are not talking about the fact that it’s a crisis,” she said of the disease which brutally entered her life with her father’s diagnosis of vascular dementia.
Formerly a leading figure in the Church of England, 83-year-old Jim now lives semi-independently in an assisted living facility. The film opened with Richardson receiving an alert while on holiday – Jim had suffered yet another fall. Aware that he is still in the relatively early stages of symptoms – he knows who she is and retains his sense of humour (pretending to row a boat as Richardson pushed his wheelchair around his hometown) – she acknowledged what is to come: “Either one day, he will have a catastrophic stroke. Or he will just get incrementally worse.”
Humour was her coping mechanism, admitting that her family are “masters of hiding any of our emotions other than basically having a laugh”, and gently teasing Jim as she tried to impress on him that a fall could be an indication of another stroke.
But more than once, dementia was referred to as a “death sentence”. It is now Britain’s biggest killer and one in three of us born today will develop symptoms in our lifetime. A rightfully angry Richardson wanted to highlight that dementia has been overlooked as a public health issue, in part because it is an “invisible” illness, associated with elderly people.
Her immensely brave subjects demonstrated both the universal loneliness felt by those dealing with dementia and the individuality of each person’s story. There was Ray, who was diagnosed 18 months ago and is fast losing his memories whilst waiting hopefully to participate in a drug trial, and Jordan, a 29-year-old with a rare gene that meant, like his mother, he will likely succumb to symptoms in his early fifties. In Luton, Michaela was self-funding a dementia café to provide her grandmother and other sufferers with vital socialisation, while Kayleigh, who documents the devastating final stages of her mother Pam’s dementia on TikTok, addressed the moral conflict of sharing her mother’s story when she cannot consent.
There could have been deeper delving into the insufficiency of government provision – what about those of the nearly one million families affected who do not have life savings or homes to sell to pay for care, for example? But the priority here was in showing the relentless cruelty of this disease: the agonisingly drawn out process of a person disappearing inside themselves, the endless sacrifices made to provide care and the enormous shame and guilt felt by those left behind.
The stories of people with dementia can only really be told by those around them, something complicated both by the desire to maintain a loved one’s dignity and by the utterly all-consuming nature of caring for someone with this disease. How unfair that we could only glimpse Richard and Pam as they once were through photos and videos from before their futures were stolen, that Roy and Jim are slipping away so rapidly and that Jordan is forever watching for warning signs.
Richardson hoped we might be at a watershed moment – with possible cures and preventative treatments on the horizon – but her harrowing film could not be clearer: time is running out.
‘Anna Richardon: Love, Loss and Dementia’ is streaming on Channel 4
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