Pat Regan, nationally known anti-gun campaigner and founder of Mothers Against Violence, was stabbed to death by her Grandson Rakeim Regan in May 2008.
Rakeim was serious mentally ill and showing signs of suffering from an acute psychosis. Despite Pats attempt to get Rakeim an urgent mental health assessment and care Rakeim was sent home from Leeds A&E with a sleeping tablet after a limited mental health assessment by a member of the mental health crisis team. The following day Pat was stabbed to death in her home. Following an inquest into the death HM Coroner for Leeds, Mr. Hinchliffe, recorded a narrative verdict finding that "Rakeim Regan's mental health was deteriorating further and his paranoia increasing. An assessment by a Specialist Registrar Psychiatrist could have produced a differential diagnosis of Paranoid Schizophrenia then Rakeim could have been removed from his grandmother's home, the outcome of which is that she would not have been unlawfully killed by stab wounds of the head and neck. Her death was confirmed at her home address at 7.13pm on 1 June 2008. Rakeim Regan was a dependent person who was seriously mentally will with a psychotic illness. The failure by those involved to have him assessed by a Specialist Registrar Psychiatrist on both the evening of 31st May 2008 in the Emergency Department of St James Hospital, Leeds and again during the morning of SUnday 1st June 2008 provides the causal connection with the events which led to the death of Patricia Ann Regan".
See the following links for press reporting:
BBC, BBC family interview and The Guardian.
The Regan family was represented by Kirsten Heaven of Garden Court Chambers and Fiona Borrill of Lester Morrill Solicitors.
Kirsten Heaven is a member of Garden Court Chambers Inquests Team.
