Editor: I would like to comment on the “release” of the man who killed Mr. Lewis Stone, in your story, (Killer released after less than 4 years’ treatment in a mental health unit, Cambrian News, 21 September).

As someone closely connected with the case. Knowing David Fleet’s family and some long-term experience in dealing with the severely mentally ill. First, I would like to clarify what “back on the streets” means. I am told that he will initially be allowed to walk unescorted in the hospital grounds. In the medium term he will be allowed to go further afield. In the longer term, he will return to the community and be allowed to live under close supervision.

David Fleet was, and is, a pleasant young man from a family that is respected locally. Like a number of youngsters, in late teens, he developed schizophrenia.

As is the current fashion, he received treatment in the community. Sadly, the support needed was far short of his health needs. He deteriorated over time. He became more and more under the influence of “voices” in his head, encouraging self-harm. His caring family watched for some time, helpless, as his health seriously deteriorated in front of their eyes. But the serious lack of resources available for the severely mentally ill meant that “sectioning” him to a hospital was almost impossible. Neighbours and friends grew increasingly concerned at the lack of support.T

he day before he killed Mr. Stone, David’s family, in view of his seriously deteriorating health, begged the mental health team to have David committed to hospital. They were particularly concerned that with a kitchen knife, having gone missing, that he may try to kill himself. The mental health team tried to find a bed, somewhere, anywhere, but none was available. So his support that day was a 20-minute chat with a view to having a further meeting later on in the week.

The next day, a quiet Monday morning, David Fleet, got up, calmly left the house, and obeying the “voices”, killed the first person he encountered.

During the court hearing, a prosecution expert witness, having a reputation for been tough on the “so called mentally ill”, rarely supporting the defence of unsound mind. In this case, he agreed with the defence that this was a genuine case. A defence of “manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility” was therefore accepted by the prosecution. The judge agreed.

The terrible truth is that Mr. Stone’s death was avoidable. He wasn’t a victim of an evil killer but of a mental health system in severe crisis.The people arguably responsible for Mr. Stone’s death have not been held accountable. I have seen a Health Board internal report and it makes shocking reading. I understand David Fleet’s family have offered to share this report with the Stone family but the Health Board have refused. They now hide behind confidentiality.

Campaigning for increased mental health support for the seriously ill, by David Fleet’s family and friends, has met continuing resistance from the Health Board. There isn’t even an admission that there is a serious problem. The Health Board quoting the improvements in low and medium level mental health cases as proof of things improving. The failure to provide adequate inpatient care is an absolute scandal, and as this case highlights, with fatal consequences.

If you are seriously mentally ill, then you will be treated in the community, in practice, mainly by your family. The closure of the Afallon mental health ward in Bronglais was a dark day for these poor people.

The Cambrian News seems to suggest that there is some sort of justice in keeping David Fleet locked up. Prison is for criminals, and as the court determined, he was not criminally motivated. It is arguably those that have left us with a failed mental health service unable to protect the public, that are really responsible.

The “witch hunt” on social media that resulted from the publicity, may delay his eventual release, due to public pressure. As David Fleet is now stable on medication, he will occupy a bed that could be taken by another severely ill individual in greater need.

James Davies, Borth