Family plead for help before mentally ill son attacked dad

But despite suffering so many injuries the victim, Michael Ross, movingly said - while still recovering in hospital - “If it means Jamie can now get the treatment he so desperately needs it was worth it.”

His son James Ross had attacked him as he sat alone in his home just after the victim’s wife Sharon had seen a “possessed” look on his face and had run screaming for help.

In a poignant statement she read to a court today (Monday) she said that they had tried to get help to prevent such an incident happening “and were let down by the system.

“Jamie is our only child, our life and we couldn’t save him. He was extremely ill and wanted the trauma in his head to stop and asked us for help.”

She said that after he rang desperately seeking their help they “fought for seven days to secure help and sadly there was none available.

“So many missed opportunities, so many cries for help ignored. The reality of the mental health support is that a there is very little…we begged for help.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard that in the week leading up to the attack Ross, now 25, had been to hospital four times seeking treatment for his mental health and had also asked police to arrest him.

The last time he turned up at Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead, was on the afternoon of October 31 last year because his condition was deteriorating.

“Despite the family’s requests he was deemed fit to discharge at 3pm and sent home with Diazepam," said Phil Astbury, prosecuting.

At about 6pm after watching televised football with his parents and aunt he said he was hungry and went to the kitchen with his mum, Sharon.

“The defendant appeared to be hovering around the knife drawer and his mother formed the view he was “edgy”, as the medication he had been provided at the hospital that afternoon seemed to be wearing off.”

Mr Astbury said that following an incident earlier in the week when he had assaulted his father with a vase the knives had been hidden but had since been put back where they lived.

“The defendant appeared to have hidden something up his sleeve but his mother couldn’t see quite what it was. She suspected it may be scissors and noted that he had a look on his face which she described as “possessed”.

“When he left the kitchen, and having recognised that look and what it might mean, Sharon Ross ran screaming to the neighbours for help.

“The defendant, meanwhile returned to the living room where his father sat alone. He then attacked his father using the knife he had taken from the drawer.”

Ross’ aunt entered the room and saw him on top of the victim on the settee “repeatedly stabbing him to the face, neck, chest and eyes. Michael Ross was shouting for help and telling his son he loved him.”

She tried to pull him away but he was too strong and she described him as “relentless and using full force. When she screamed at the defendant to stop he turned to her momentarily with a ‘vacant’ look on his face. This brief pause allowed Michael Ross to run into the hallway. However the defendant followed and continued to lunge at his father’s back.

“Out in the hallway Michael Ross pleaded with his son to stop as he fell into the bedroom doorway. The defendant, however, now back on top of his father continued to stab and punch him repeatedly.

“The aunt continued to pull at him, almost ripping his coat off, but to no avail. She eventually managed to open the front door and it was at this point the defendant stopped and ran into the street. She locked the door and called the emergency services.”

Police officers who arrived at the house in Eton Drive, Thornton Hough, Wirral found the victim covered in blood and unresponsive.

“One of their number, special constable Thomas Petch, was in fact a junior doctor and able to administer immediate and effective first aid to the many wounds sustained. The knife was recovered lying nearby,” said Mr Astbury.

Meanwhile officers saw the defendant standing under a street lamp on Parkgate Road using his mobile phone and he had actually called the police to say what he had done and where he was.

“Officers could see he was covered in blood. When approached he immediately admitted having stabbed his father a number of times and was arrested.”

His father was taken to Aintree Hospital where he was treated for multiple wounds to his scalp and face including his right cheek, forehead and around both eyes. He had also defensive wounds to his left hand and forearm including ruptured and lacerated tendons to two fingers.

He has made a full recovery and sat in court in the public gallery with his wife.

The court heard that the defendant only has one previous conviction and that was for assaulting an emergency worker at Arrowe Park Hospital a week before the attack during his second visit there for help that day.

Prior to that time Ross had been living independently in Liverpool but had returned home to get help from his parents and medical services as his condition had deteriorated.

Ross is currently detained in Rowan View Hospital in Maghull on Merseyside and appeared via video link as did his treating clinician Dr Stephen Owens, who told the judge that Ross has a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia and also suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He said that at the time of the attack “he was suffering from acute paranoid delusions and continues to do so and has a lack of insight into his mental health currently.

“His mental illness remains very active and his insight into his illness and need for treatment is limited. He continues to need a significant intervention in terms of therapy and would be extremely vulnerable in the community.

“Even recently he expressed paranoid beliefs about his parents intention to him,” said Dr Owens.

Ross pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and a charge of attempted murder was dropped.

Imposing a Hospital Order without limit of time Judge Denis Watson, QC, said that he would only be released when doctors and the Secretary of State decided it was in his and everyone else’s interests to do so.

John Weate, defending, said it was “a sad and distressing” case and opportunities to help Ross had been missed. He said that the defendant’s parents had received one letter of apology from mental health services for the opportunities missed to help their son.