DUMBARTON MAN SENT TO STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL FOR KILLING DAD
A SCHIZOPHRENIC man who killed his elderly dad, who he believed was poisoning him, has been acquitted on the grounds of insanity.John Padden, 49, launched an attack on 84-year-old Michael Padden at his sheltered housing residence at Willox Park in Dumbarton on May 24 this year.
The elderly man suffered a fractured hip and required surgery, but sadly died of a heart attack a few days later in the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley.
Padden was initially charged with murder, accused of punching and kicking his father, which caused him to fall and die from his injuries.
However, it was determined that Padden was insane and not fit to stand trial, leading to an examination of the case in the High Court in Dumbarton.
He was also charged with assaulting his cousin, Liam McGarry, at Willox Park on the same day.
After considering the evidence, Lord Uist concluded that Padden had killed his dad and assaulted Mr.
McGarry but was acquitted on the basis of insanity.
The court was told that Padden had previously attacked his father with an axe in 1983 and had a history of violence.
Regarding the murder charge, Lord Uist stated: “The accused did the acts constituting the offence of culpable homicide.” Padden was ordered to be detained at Carstairs State Hospital indefinitely.
It was revealed that Padden was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 17 and had been hospitalized multiple times since then, with this being his third admission to a mental health facility.
Evidence from medical and psychiatric experts indicated that Padden often uses words but assigns his own meanings to them, making him difficult to understand.
The court also heard that he believed his father and one of his sisters poisoned him.
His sister, Ellen Padden, 59, explained that most of her siblings left home by age 16, with Padden staying longer due to health issues.
She noted that her brother and father had a strained relationship.
Kim Robertson, a supervisor at Willox Park, testified that Padden visited his father on the day of the incident, then later asked staff to call him a taxi.
Padden then admitted to assaulting his father and later attacked his cousin Liam McGarry by kicking and punching him.
Police traced Padden to his home and he told officers he “went to kill” his dad and had intentions to harm his brother and sister.
Police reports described Padden as initially relaxed but becoming aggressive as he was detained.
Dr.
Paul Myatt, a psychiatrist, assessed Padden after his arrival at Carstairs, reporting that Padden believed himself to be “more than a perfect person” and claimed staff at Larbert Hospital tried to poison him, along with his father and sister.
Padden also described seeing vampires, gods, aliens, and spaceships, believing he could do anything he wanted, and stated, “I have died a couple of times and came back.” Professor Lindsay Thomson, the responsible medical officer, stated that Padden had a history of non-compliance with medication and felt justified in his violent actions, believing they were justified and that only Carstairs could adequately care for him.
