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Couple Dead After Psychotic Episode
16 Dec
Summary
- Man bludgeoned wife to death during a psychotic episode.
- Husband died by suicide weeks after psychiatric hospital release.
- Children criticize NHS mental health services' care.
A tragic incident has occurred where Christopher Stone-Houghton, 66, bludgeoned his wife Ruth, 60, to death with a hammer before ending his own life. This occurred less than two months after his release from psychiatric hospital, amid what an inquest heard was a psychotic episode. The couple was found dead in their Portsmouth home on September 14, 2022.
An inquest revealed that Mr. Stone-Houghton's mental health declined rapidly after his jewelry business struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite showing signs of improvement and taking medication, toxicology reports indicated he had not been taking his prescribed drugs. The coroner deemed his discharge unsafe due to an inadequate risk assessment but did not find it contributory to the deaths.
The couple's children have voiced strong criticism of the NHS mental health services, highlighting perceived failings and emphasizing that more could have been done to manage the risk. They expressed deep concern that necessary changes only came after their parents' deaths, urging for national attention to systemic issues in mental healthcare.
