The family of Lewis Stone is grappling with heartbreak and outrage after the killer who stabbed him was granted leave from a secure psychiatric unit. David Fleet, who suffered from schizophrenia, killed Stone while he was on holiday in Borth, Ceredigion, in 2019. Stone, a retired butcher, scrapped for three months after his wounds. Sadly, he was pronounced dead, and his family continues to deal with the tragic consequences of this tragedy.
At 21 years old, Fleet has been held in detention under the Mental Health Act since October 2018. His longstanding issues with mental health have brought him to this point. Only ten days before the attack, he had been released from a secure crisis intervention facility. His family members said they were scared for his life if this bad decision were to go through. His own mother had expressed concerns about his release, in terms of his safety and that of others.
On the one day that Fleet was given his overnight leave from the psychiatric unit, the Stone family acted. They made public appeals for internal health reports concerning Fleet’s care. Radd Seiger, adviser to the Stone family, said that he was appalled at the timing of this decision. He called it “outrageous” that they found out about Fleet’s leave on the same day they requested information.
“Actions have consequences.” – Radd Seiger, the Stone family’s adviser
They stressed that any decisions to limit community access for patients would only occur after extensive risk assessment and the implementation of robust safeguards. In a statement to the Guardian, the MoJ expressed its deepest condolences to the Stone family for their loss and suffering.
“We understand this decision will be difficult for the Stone family, and our thoughts are with them.” – The Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
Fleet’s mental health challenges played out in horrific circumstances. He claimed to have heard voices telling him to attack. The voices told him that his time to pounce was running out. If not, they would need to kill him and seize control over his mind. This horrific backdrop raises important questions. Yet, are the mental health services that are provided to him, when he is released and before his incarceration really enough?
Concerns about Fleet’s case led the NHS to intervene. They retracted that original decision and decided to publicly release a complete report of his care. Vicki Lindsay, Lewis Stone’s stepdaughter, has been vocal in advocating for transparency regarding Fleet’s treatment. She emphasized the need for internal reports to be published to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Sharon Daniel, director of nursing, quality, and patient experience, Hywel Dda University Health Board. Speaking at the annual meeting, she revealed that as of April 2023 the new Duty of Candour on patients has been rolled out to Wales. She promised that they did everything possible to be transparent about these type of crashes.
“In the event of serious incidents, we have robust processes in place for reviewing internally, identifying any issues, and where appropriate preparing an improvement plan to prevent such an occurrence in the future.” – Sharon Daniel, Hywel Dda University Health Board’s director of nursing, quality and patient experience
She too mourned tragedies like Fleet’s, promising that they’re always looking to learn from those examples.
The Stone family is going through an unimaginable tragedy. Their experience highlights major systemic issues with not just mental health care, but public safety as a whole. The community is still riding high on the fear that Fleet’s about to be released. The rub is that many are now asking how this decision was allowed to happen given the alarm bells of misjudgment.
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