NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - Here's a new PFD notice about why the police using "suicidal ideation" might not be the best idea, leading to a man's death - www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

Canada suspect had police visits over mental health struggles and was detained by the police under the Mental Health Act more than once. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - “The Defence of Illegality” A truly unique case in British legal history: can a man found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity being a civil action against agencies he believed negligently failed him? mentalhealthcop.com/2026/02/11/t...

Violence against NHS staff now around 100,000 times a year. I re-read an old, 2015 blog recently where I'd mentioned around 67,000 assaults each year - and worth remembering c67-70% of those attacks are in the MH sector of the NHS. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

NEW BLOG - "Andrew McCleary" Sometimes I read official things from organisations and just shake my head. What on EARTH are they on about here? mentalhealthcop.com/2026/02/04/a...

NEW BLOG - "White Paper - Police Reform". Mental health is their number one example of stuff the police shouldn't be doing to clear the way for "core business". I just shook my head and put the kettle on, to be honest. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/28/w...

"Colchester Mayor says he will accuse the police of negligence" after the death of his brother. Essex Police response to criticism for non-response is predicted on "Right Care, Right Person". www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/2578754...

NEW BLOG - "White Paper - Police Reform". Mental health is their number one example of stuff the police shouldn't be doing to clear the way for "core business". I just shook my head and put the kettle on, to be honest. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/28/w...

This is yesterday's UK Government White Paper on police reform. Lots us using mental health as the key example of what policing shouldn't be doing, in an expected but still disappointing way. Strong support for RCRP, which is still-unevalutated. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697792...

Very much looking forward to seeing whether the themes or areas which require "the right skills" will even mention mental health and if so, what the necessary skills will be? - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Great Breaking News! - Get to go to Royal College of Psychiatrists' International Congress in Liverpool in June to present with the inimitable Rosie Alister and Dr Alex Thomson. "Over-used or under-used: the relationship between mental health services and the police." #RCPsychIC #RCPsychIC26

Killer's victim "failed on every level" by two police forces and an NHS trust - The inquest after the death of Roger Leadbeater has concluded today and a PFD notice will be sent to Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire Police. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Alexander Lewis-Ranwell - charged with x3 murders in 2019 and found not guilty by reason of insanity - has been barred by from bringing a civil claim against police, NHS and other organisations. A unique case, quite literally without precedent in UK legal history. supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc...

NEW BLOG - "Hospitals and Benefits" Some observations but even more questions about recent proposals to alter Universal Credit for "convicted patients" in hospital after an offence. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/21/h...

UNUSUAL PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - A coroner has issued a PFD to Essex Police prior to commencement of the substantive inquest after they force refused to undertake enquiries on behalf of Northamptonshire following a death in their area. www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

THE POLICE PENSION THING - Can only be forfeited after criminal conviction and in some restricted circumstances. The offence must be connected to their duties and 1) Gravely injurious to state interests, or 2) Liable to lead to a serious loss of confidence in the police. 1/

NEW BLOG - "Not About Football" My reaction to the resignation of the last Chief Constable I served under. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/16/n...

NEW BLOG - "Jenkins v R (2025)" A recent interesting appeal against an indeterminant sentence to prison, based on new psychiatric evidence - leads to a hospital order under s37/41. A good case study for how things can change even after sentence. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/14/j...

Fatal police shooting in New South Wales after mental health "concern for welfare" - www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDJY...

Review ordered into Oxfordshire's mental health services - One easy way to work out whether they have enough beds, is just ask the police about unlawful detention pending MHA admission where it can't be sorted out. Nationally = THOUSANDS each year. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Restraint probably contributed to a man's death, albeit he may have died anyway" - A new PFD notice (attached in the post below this one) has been issued. Blog coming on the sad case of Mr Robert Gracey next week. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Man admits attempted murder of Army officer near Chatham army barracks. The defendant will be sentenced next month, currently held on remand in Broadmoor hospital - sentencing was delayed for legal consideration of fitness to plead. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A very sad case from 2023, the killing of Roger Leadbeater - There is too little information in this coverage (or any other coverage) to truly understand what's gone wrong here: the Coroner will conclude on 22/01 and it sounds like a PFD is coming. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "Hold To Account" Something about PCCs and holding Chief Constables to account. mentalhealthcop.com/2026/01/07/h...

"As Paulo Coelho said, one day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you want. Do it now ... go light up the darkest corners and the black sky." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Man arrested for serious assaults with a crow bar at a Merseyside hospital has been detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 — Not the end outcome - the police investigation continues. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Please consider a donation to support Tom at what must be an utterly desperate time for him and those supporting him, personally and professionally. Please consider sharing the post if you're able, to widen its reach.

I’ve been saddened to learn a friend is a relative of the Gloucestershire officer who lost his family on Boxing Day. I’ve been asked to thank the emergency services involved in responding and for people to respect the family’s privacy. Can donate here - t.co/Yu4a5AzGd0

If we're going to have a complaints oversight for policing, why would we allow them to review investigations if they don't understand the MHA, where the force's PSD investigator didn't understand it either and where it's directly relevant? Couldn't make that up, could you?!

I always have one or two hundred questions about services like this, but then feel weird for intuitively wondering how much of a dent they'll make in the problem they say they're trying to dent. 1/ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "Merry Kweenuz!" mentalhealthcop.com/2025/12/24/k...

Mental Health Bill receives Royal Assent, “revolutionising care” — So we now have a Mental Health Act 2025. Not sure it will “revolutionise” anything, though - it merely amends the 1983 Act and not in a radical way. www.gov.uk/government/n...

The @ukparliament.parliament.uk website suggests the Mental Health Bill will receive (or go for?) Royal Assent tomorrow, the 18th December —

Police Scotland warn mental health call-outs are “unsustainable” — www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "Merry Christmas, Hollie" A man was recently imprisoned for a hideous and serious assault on a police officer - the case shows how serious mental illness does not necessarily preclude someone being able to form a specific intent in law. mentalhealthcop.com/2025/12/17/m...

Wrapping up research efforts for the year as I've got an expert report to write this week and then I'm having ten days off until after New Year. I've now identified 300 mental health related police contact deaths this century, with 154 PFD notices. 2026 is going to be busy.

I finally decided to stop being tight and pay for the version of Wordpress which means no adverts! - I hope this improves the experience of using the site and despite a slightly changed web-address, all the old links continue to work. www.mentalhealthcop.com

Northampton hospital staff "caught on CCTV assaulting patients" - Plenty of discussion, policy work and conferences about assaults by patients on staff, patients on other patients, etc. Always much less said about assaults by staff on patients. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Health Secretary confirms statutory public inquiry in to Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS mental health trust. So soon two problematic NHS MH trusts will have statutory public inquiries on the go - Essex is the other. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "Unlawful Killing" A delayed PFD publication due to a police force applying for and being refused judicial review of the inquest outcome. An interesting PFD because it expressly links to another issued to the same force on similar issues. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/12/11/u...

NEW BLOG - "Unlawful Killing" A delayed PFD publication due to a police force applying for and being refused judicial review of the inquest outcome. An interesting PFD because it expressly links to another issued to the same force on similar issues. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/12/11/u...

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - A delayed publication due to a police force applying for and being refused judicial review of the inquest outcome. An interesting PFD because it expressly links to another issued to the same force on similar issues. www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...

Been searching online in recent days for evidence of jointly agreed protocols between agencies as to how the Mental Health Act should operate across five areas of business. I'm not getting very far, very fast. 1/

Women jailed due to lack of mental health beds - report. Amazing to say it's an example of the prison system failing women, when it seems likely they would welcome a transfer for those who need hospital admission and care. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW BLOG - "The Mental Health Act 2025?" We're now just waiting on Royal Assent - a few things about police specific aspects and what happens from here to get this thing up and running. mentalhealthcop.wordpress.com/2025/12/10/t...

A brilliant week to look forward to - Mon - research event on "sensitive research topics" Tue - research methods lecture Fri - AMHP training (Manchester). Sun - fetch man-boy from university for Christmas break. Also Sun - hand car keys to man-boy and see car again in January.

Very sobering from @houseofcommons.parliament.uk Health & Social Care select committee on community mental health services: "Failure to act risks worsening outcomes, deepening inequalities, and will lead to further preventable harm and tragic loss of life." committees.parliament.uk/publications...

Already up, in and "at it", @unibirmingham.bsky.social campus looking moody and up for it - A full day at a seminar for "emotionally demanding research", which sounds extremely interesting. I've shut my laptop on myself several times this year and walked away so should be useful.

Streeting orders review into mental health and ADHD diagnoses - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW PREVENTING FUTURE DEATHS REPORT - Coroner raising as a matter of concern, a lack of guidance for call handlers and a "system issue" about whether incidents are dealt with as "missing" or "RCRP" cases. Other HM Coroners have also raised this. www.judiciary.uk/prevention-o...