Mental patient's care criticised

A disturbed teenager who was jailed for life after killing a businessman "for kicks" was not properly assessed by doctors, an independent inquiry has found.

Yesterday's report into the care of James Stemp - who was 17 when he killed John Dawson, from Carlton, Nottingham, in October 1995 - identifies a series of failures to keep track of him as he moved through the care of Leicestershire Mental Health Services Trust.

Stemp had been referred to Carlton Hays psychiatric unit in Leicester after going to two different casualty departments complaining of a head injury in February, 1995. He was discharged nine days later, with no follow- up arrangements.

He was re-referred to Carlton Hays after going back to a casualty department, but there was no record of his treatment and he was discharged in April 1995 after failing to attend.

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