Lack of care plan led to woman's murder by disturbed patient

The lack of a coordinated aftercare plan and poor communication between three health authorities and a specialist psychiatric service for deaf people contributed to the murder of a 57 year old woman by a mentally ill deaf teenager, the report of an independent inquiry team concluded this week. Eighteen year old Daniel Joseph murdered Carla Thompson, who had given him a home, in January 1998.

Mr Joseph, who is currently detained in Broadmoor for the killing, has a bipolar disorder and is also profoundly deaf and can communicate only through sign language.

At the time of the killing he was under the care of the National Deaf Service, a specialist psychiatric service for deaf people covering southern England. The service had been responsible for his care since 1996, when he was a voluntary …