Manslaughter case sparks Health investigation

Thursday 20 August 2020

An independent investigation has been launched after officials decided not to detain a doctor on mental health grounds, just five days before he killed his mother.

Yesterday, Andrew Nisbet (41) was sentenced to remain in a mental health unit for an indeterminate time after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Nisbet, who stabbed his mother after his parents reluctantly tried to evict him from an annex to their St. Peter home, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger Syndrome.

The Royal Court heard from medical experts, who said that Nisbet’s conditions made him unable to process the consequences of his actions, nor could he deal with change or not getting his way.

It also heard that Nisbet’s parents had become increasingly concerned about their son’s mental wellbeing in the days before Mrs Nisbet’s death.

Pictured: Pamela Nisbet was a teacher, member of the Law Society's Disciplinary Panel, honorary police officer and Youth Court panellist.

Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit said: “Mr and Mrs Nisbet kept Adult Mental Health Services appraised of the situation, and risk assessments were carried out prior to the eviction notice being served. 

“On their advice, a mental health assessment was conducted on 1 August 2019 in order to determine whether the defendant should be detained at Orchard House following the deterioration in his mental health."

However, he noted: "Agreement could not be reached that the grounds for detention were satisfied, so the defendant remained in the community.”

Five days later, Nisbet stabbed his mother to death in her kitchen.

Following the sentencing, it's now been announced that a Domestic Homicide Review, commissioned by the Safeguarding Partnership Board (SPB), will be carried out.

Expected to take up to six months, it will aim to establish exactly what happened and whether processes can be improved.

Pictured: The Safeguarding Partnership Board is chaired by Sarah Elliott.

“The Health and Community Services department will provide all the necessary information for the review to ensure lessons are learnt and any recommendations are implemented," a government spokesperson explained.

They added that an internal case note review had already been conducted by the Health Department "to identify early learning opportunities". No one has been suspended as a result.

The spokesperson said the findings of this review will form part of the Domestic Homicide Review.

The Safeguarding Partnership Board will now commission “a suitable and experienced” person, who is independent of the agencies involved in this case, to carry out the review.

The board is made up of an independent Chair, Sarah Elliott, and 30 members representing agencies which have responsibility for safeguarding children and adults in Jersey.

Ms Elliott took over from Glenys Johnston OBE last August, becoming the first pan-island Independent Chair of Jersey and Guernsey's Safeguarding Partnership Boards.

She was previously a nurse and health visitor before going on to become Chief Nurse for the South of England. She has held several safeguarding roles across England, and is a special advisor with the Care Quality Commission.