Killers treated by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership

Three patients who killed three men in separate attacks were all being treated by the same mental health partnership.

The trio were convicted of separate homicides committed in 2008 while receiving care from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

The three independent reports each identified "no direct causal factors" between the care and treatment the three men received and the killings.

They refer to the deaths of Terry Hall, Alan Riddock and Alan Clarke.

All three patients had been receiving treatment for a variety of problems, including drug and alcohol addiction and psychiatric disorders.

'Recommendations made'

James Allen was convicted of murdering his neighbour Terry Hall during a row over a discarded washing machine.

Liam Churchley was jailed alongside his mother, brother and cousins for the killing of Alan Riddock outside a pub, while James Bible was detained indefinitely for stabbing his friend to death.

While the reports highlighted aspects of care that could have been better, each concluded that it would "not be reasonable" to deduce that these had an impact on each incident.

A total of 28 recommendations are made in the separate reports, of which 22 relate to the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

Trust medical director Dr Arden Tomison said its staff dealt with individuals whose complex needs, behaviour and reluctance to be helped can make delivering effective care support very difficult.

"The decisions our staff make about the care and support provided to service users are informed by the best clinical understanding of their individual clinical needs," he added.