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Family Felt Let Down by Mental Health Services
12 Feb
Summary
- Teenager fatally stabbed his sleeping grandmother with a knife.
- Family sought mental health help for teen prior to attack.
- Skelton was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia after the incident.
A family has voiced feelings of being let down by mental health services following a tragic incident where their teenage son fatally stabbed his grandmother. Brandon Skelton, 19, attacked Mandy Barnett, 60, with a kitchen knife as she slept at her home in Wortley, Leeds.
The sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday revealed that Skelton, who was 17 at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He has since been diagnosed with severe and enduring schizophrenia.
In the months preceding the attack on October 23, 2023, Skelton's family had repeatedly sought to have him admitted to a mental health hospital. Their concerns escalated as his behavior became increasingly obsessive and aggressive, including threats and paranoid thoughts. Despite taking him to A&E eight days before the killing, he did not receive immediate help.
Judge Recorder Guy Kearl KC imposed a hospital order, stating that Skelton's condition and public risk mean it's uncertain how long he will remain detained. The judge acknowledged the family's efforts to secure help for the defendant, stating they "could have done no more."
