Psychotic man who stabbed father to death was considered harmless ‘Gentle Giant’, says report

A MENTALLY ill man who stabbed his father to death was considered by carers to be a “gentle giant” who was incapable of doing harm, a critical report found today.

Gary Ward, 41, had regular contact with health and social services over a period of 11 years before he killed 62-year-old Jim at their home in Ayr in 2007.

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland said that the care team failed to properly recognise the extent of his risky behaviour.

The report – which names the man only as Mr F – found fault with his medication regime, elements of therapy and the care team’s approach to his family.

Mr Ward, who had alcohol problems and psychotic mental illness, was cleared of murdering his father after psychiatrists told his trial he was insane at the time of the incident.

He was ordered to be detained indefinitely in the State Hospital Carstairs.

The report stated: “His immediate care team had a strong regard for Mr F, visited him regularly and responded to the numerous crises that occurred.

“However, their closeness to this case didn’t allow them to recognise the true extent of his psychosis, or the level of risk arising from his past behaviour, his history of alcohol misuse and the particular psychotic symptoms that he experienced.

“We found that Mr F was viewed by many of those involved in his care and treatment as a troubled gentle giant who was not capable of doing harm and this coloured their judgment of risky behaviours.”

The report said oral medication was prescribed despite Mr Ward’s paranoid belief that he was being poisoned.

He was assisted with “confrontation skills” so he could stand up to his father, a decision described as “naive” in the report.

Mr Ward’s relationship with his father was “complex and difficult”. He described his father as a cruel man who had been verbally abusive and physically violent since his childhood.

Those involved in his care “failed to recognise” the importance of the home situation in contributing to his illness, the report found.

Linda Graham, who led the investigation team, said: “We would ask health and social care providers and the Scottish Government to review the recommendations in this report to establish what actions they need to take to help avoid similar incidents in future.”