ABERDEENSHIRE MAN NEARLY KILLS GRANDFATHER DURING HOSPITAL RELEASE
A MAN released from a mental hospital for a weekend home visit nearly battered his grandfather to death, a court heard yesterday.Mark Paterson, 20, formerly of Church Street, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, had originally been charged with attempting to murder his grandfather, Mr John Jessiman, 78, by repeatedly striking him on the head with a hammer, but yesterday he pled guilty to a reduced charge of assault to danger of life.
The High Court in Aberdeen was told that Mr Jessiman is still in danger of dying from his injuries.
Lord Gill ordered that Paterson be committed without limit of time to the State Hospital at Carstairs.
The court heard that, in April of this year, Paterson was committed to the Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen, where he was diagnosed as a schizophrenic.
But staff believed he was making good progress, and he was allowed out in June this year to make two home visits.
On June 16 he carried out the unprovoked attack.
Labour's Scottish home affairs spokesman, John McFall MP, last night condemned the decision to allow Paterson out of hospital as "an expensive and tragic mistake".
A spokesman for Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust said a report had gone to the Mental Welfare Commission.
