'we Don't Blame Dad For Killing Mum, He Was Ill'

The children of a man who killed his woman successful a psychotic episode, earlier taking his ain life, person told nan BBC they do not blasted their begetter for what happened.

Chris and Ruth Stone-Houghton died successful September 2022 astatine their location successful Portsmouth.

An inquest recovered location had been a "failure to afloat support" nan family aft Chris was discharged from a psychiatric infirmary weeks earlier.

Their boy Oliver said "we don't request to forgive him. I ne'er erstwhile questioned that it was thing different than his illness".

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it had "learnt from this case" to amended attraction for patients successful a intelligence wellness situation and their families.

Chris and Ruth were loving and caring parents, Oliver and Abbie Stone-Houghton said, and devoted to 1 another.

"We had specified a superb childhood, and moreover successful their big life we were truthful adjacent pinch some of them," explained Abbie.

Chris ran a jewellery business which Ruth had besides worked in. He had nary erstwhile intelligence wellness issues but arsenic nan institution struggled during nan Covid pandemic, yet closing successful April 2022, he began to acquisition illusion thoughts.

He became progressively paranoid, wrongly believing he was being listened to by his telephone and computer, and terrified personification was retired to get him. He became withdrawn, looked noticeably frailer and knowledgeable suicidal thoughts.

"He didn't consciousness for illustration he had thing to connection anymore," his boy Oliver, now 30, remembered.

Chris was yet diagnosed pinch psychotic depression, and successful July 2022 attempted to return his ain life.

He was sectioned and placed connected a intelligence wellness ward astatine St James' Hospital successful Portsmouth, tally by nan section NHS trust, wherever nan family believed he would walk respective months.

Within 4 weeks, he was discharged backmost location against nan family's wishes. Ruth was "terrified" that her hubby would further self-harm, nan inquest heard.

Being a loving family worked against them, Oliver said, believing unit felt "they didn't person to interest truthful overmuch astir him being returned location than possibly successful different cases".

"We didn't really get immoderate proposal connected what to do, what not to do," said Abbie. "We were conscionable doing what we thought was correct and conscionable hoping for nan champion really."

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Denzel Mitchell, who worked astatine St James' Hospital, said nan determination to discharge was made successful ample portion because Mr Stone-Houghton had not self-harmed aliases had psychotic episodes connected nan ward.

Coroner Rachel Spearing recovered that though nan determination was "appropriate", nan measurement it was carried retired was "unsafe", pinch an "inadequate consequence assessment".

Chris had a history of refusing anti-psychotic medicine astatine home, and had to beryllium cajoled into taking it successful hospital, but this was not adequately considered. The family had not been afloat supported fixed nan load placed connected them to guarantee he took his medication, Ms Spearing added.

She recovered it was "unlikely" he had taken his medicine astatine nan clip of nan deaths.

There had besides been a deficiency of entree to support, nan inquest heard. Chris had not received psychological involution successful hospital, because nan ward did not person a psychologist.

Once backmost home, his organization situation squad doubly asked for Chris to person early involution for psychosis treatment, nan champion and quickest action available, but this was denied.

Chris was 66, and nan NHS trust's cut-off property for nan work was 65.

"Had he had that treatment, we don't cognize what would person happened," said Oliver.

Chris was alternatively placed connected a year-long waiting database for specialised talking therapy support.

The scheme was for nan family to alert nan situation squad if they noted signs of relapse, nan inquest heard, but nary general carer's appraisal had been carried retired for Ruth, 60, who looked aft her husband.

On 14 September 2022, Chris killed Ruth astatine their family location successful Portsmouth earlier taking his ain life. Coroner Rachel Spearing concluded he was "in nan apt grip of a psychotic episode".

She said nan deaths could not person been predicted, and that Chris and Ruth were a "loving and happy" couple.

Oliver and Abbie said they were "extremely close" arsenic a family, and do not clasp their begetter responsible for what happened.

"We some consciousness very powerfully and cognize successful our hearts," said Oliver, "that [dad] wasn't tin of this arsenic a sane, logical person, and that it was nan unwellness that had caused these events to hap successful that way.

"We don't fto it impact our memories of them both."

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said successful a connection that it expressed "our deepest condolences to nan family and friends of Ruth and Christopher".

It added: "We person learnt from this case, and others, to continually amended really we attraction for and support group who are successful a intelligence wellness crisis, and their families."

If you are affected by immoderate of nan issues successful this article, support is disposable from organisations listed by BBC Action Line.