Police officer faces misconduct hearing over escaped mental health patient killed by train

A police officer faces misconduct proceedings over failures in the search for an escaped mental health patient who was killed by a train.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that Inspector Collin Baker should face a disciplinary hearing in relation to the death of Matthew Caseby, 23.

In September 2020, Matthew, a fitness instructor, had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and was being treated at the Priory’s Woodbourne hospital in Birmingham when he was left unattended in a courtyard and was able to climb over a fence.

The escape was reported to West Midlands Police and Insp Baker, who was in charge of allocating resources, assessed Caseby as a medium risk, even though he had suffered a psychotic episode and been sectioned because he was found running on railway lines.

Now following an investigation by the police watchdog, Insp Baker will face a misconduct hearing over his actions on the night.

Baker’s ignorance was ‘staggering’

Caseby’s parents made several calls to the police raising concerns for their son’s welfare and reported that Priory staff had told them their son had left the hospital after saying that he intended to harm himself.

Matthew’s father, Richard Caseby, said that Insp Baker’s ignorance about mental health issues was “staggering”.

Insp Baker designated Caseby as being only a medium risk to himself or the public until a shift change.

Two officers reviewed the case and assessed him as high risk but he was struck and killed by a train less than two hours later.

During the three-week inquest into Matthew’s death in 2023, Insp Baker persistently refused to admit his risk assessment was wrong, his father said.

‘Wilfully arrogant’

As soon as he learned that his son had escaped, Caseby’s father raced from his home in London to Birmingham to mount an overnight search.

He got to within 200 yards of his son when he was hit by the train but was unable to save him.

Mr Caseby, a communications consultant from London, accused Insp Baker of being “wilfully arrogant” and said his “ignorance about mental health was staggering”.

He said he flagged down three police patrol cars as he searched for Matthew, but “not a single officer” knew anything about his son’s escape.

He said: “West Midlands Police utterly failed my family when we needed them most.

“Four years after Matthew’s death, Baker still refuses to acknowledge any error in his decisions that terrible night. During his truculent performance at the inquest he insisted he would do exactly the same all over again. His intransigence beggars belief.”

In 2023, the jury at the inquest concluded that Matthew’s death was contributed to by neglect by the Woodbourne Priory hospital.

‘Matthew had absconded’

An independent investigation report found the Priory Woodbourne hospital was responsible for two root causes of Matthew’s death and 29 contributory factors in the three days he was a patient.

The Priory Group was last year fined £650,000 after Mr Caseby’s campaign prompted an investigation by the Care Quality Commission.

An IOPC spokesman said: “We completed our investigation in December last year into the West Midlands Police (WMP) response to reports that Matthew was missing.”

The investigation followed a referral by the Force of a complaint from a family member made after the inquest into Matthew’s death.

“It was reported to police shortly after 5pm on September 7, 2020 that Matthew had absconded from the Woodbourne Priory Hospital in Birmingham.

“Our investigation considered the initial risk assessments and subsequent reviews by officers, the actions taken to locate Matthew, and what consideration was given to concerns and information relayed by his parents.

“During the investigation, we reviewed documents provided as part of the inquest proceedings along with force and national policies on missing persons and mental health.

“We obtained statements from several witnesses and interviewed a police inspector under misconduct caution.

“At the end of our investigation, we provided our report and findings to the police force and Matthew’s father.

“We decided that a police inspector should attend a misconduct meeting in relation to their decision making and handling of information after Matthew was reported missing.”

A WMP spokesman said: “We have received a report from the IOPC which recommends a misconduct meeting is held with an officer.”

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel