REPORT OF AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY ... - Hundred Families

22. Newham Social Services Department was therefore contacted and a support worker, Philomena
Omeku, was the Appropriate Adult who arrived. She was present whilst Chandran was
interviewed from 17.40 hours on 3rd November 2001. At the end of her shift, an Approved Social
Worker, Brian Sanders, who was the emergency duty social worker for Newham, took over as
the Appropriate Adult. He told the Inquiry that Chandran was articulate and orientated. However,
when the police asked Chandran about his father, he was very confused and could not remember
his father as his father, but said it was a beast he had seen. Brian Sanders formed the opinion that
he was mentally unwell at that time although he could not, of course, express any opinion as to
how he had appeared earlier, and he quite properly did not seek to do so when he spoke to the
Inquiry Panel.
23. Chandran was subsequently charged with the murder of Narayanan Sukumaran and remanded in
custody at HM Prison Pentonville. There he was noticed to be behaving in a bizarre fashion and
was said to have “been talking rubbish to officers”. He was admitted to the prison hospital wing.
On 13th November 2001, he attempted to assault three other inmates. When asked why he had
done this, he said it was to get attention. Both Dr Whittle (Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist) and
another doctor decided that he needed to be transferred to the John Howard Centre under Section
48 Mental Health Act 1983. So far as is relevant for this Report, Section 48 provides:
“(1) If in the case of a person to whom this section applies the Secretary of State is satisfied
by the same reports as are required for the purposes of Section 47 above [i.e. reports from at
least two registered medical practitioners] that that person is suffering from mental illness or
severe mental impairment of a nature or degree which makes it appropriate for him to be
detained in a hospital for medical treatment and that he is in urgent need of such treatment,
the Secretary of State shall have the same power of giving a transfer direction [i.e. a direction
that that person be removed to and detained in a hospital] in respect of him under that section
as if he were serving a sentence of imprisonment.
“(2) This section applies to the following persons, that is to say - ...
“(b) persons remanded in custody by a magistrates’ court ...”
24. Chandran was transferred from Pentonville Prison to Belmarsh Prison and remained there until
he was admitted to the John Howard Centre on 20th December 2001.
Comment
One issue which arose for consideration was whether an Approved Social Worker should
go to the police station when a person who has or might have mental health problems is
arrested in relation to a serious crime. That this matter arose for our consideration is not a
criticism of either the FME or the support worker who first attended the police station as
the Appropriate Adult. The Inquiry Panel decided it did not need to invite them to give
evidence and we have formed no conclusion or recommendation relating to any matter
connected with them. We understand, however, that the policy has changed in Newham and
an Approved Social Worker would go to the police station where a suspect with mental
health problems were detained for a serious crime. This is a change which we support. In
this regard, the Inquiry Panel has kept in mind the problems that the Trust has faced for a
number of years in trying to recruit forensic psychiatrists.
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