Lousia Ovington independent investigation report ... - NHS North East

CHAPTER 5 – INVOLVEMENT WITH POLICE AND PROBATION
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communication and no officers with responsibility to liaise with Mental health services.
Again, the panel was told that this would have been done through the MAPPA
process had MAPPA been invoked.
The Mental Health Act provides a mechanism under Section 136 where the police can
forcibly remove and take a person to a place of safety. This was done at least once, on
22 September 2004. After the hospital refused to admit Louisa Ovington the police
were required to remove her from the building. The panel was told that the police
being ‘open 24 hours a day’ are the agency that that is used where other agencies are
unable to deal with people.
The issue of medical confidentiality was problematic. DS1’s view was that when a
person gives information to a medical professional indicating the possibility of risk
to another there should be some forum where that information can be shared or
discussed without fear of breach of confidentiality. He told the panel that the doctor
should be able to discuss this ‘in the round’ with other professionals to decide
whether the protection of the public should outweigh patient confidentiality. The
panel agrees that medical confidentiality can present an obstacle, but notes that
MAPPA would have been an appropriate forum for such discussions.
The panel asked DS1 whether in retrospect he felt that the police had regarded Louisa
Ovington’s behaviour as commonplace for the area and therefore taken them less
seriously. He denied this, saying that having looked at her offences they were not
commonplace and although some offences committed in the area were alcohol and
drug related, Louisa Ovington’s behaviour was beyond the norm.
There was considerable evidence of domestic violence in the relationship between
Louisa Ovington and Mr Hilton. The police view was that Mr Hilton was quite placid
and that he was the victim of far more violence from Louisa Ovington than she was
from him. DS1 confirmed that the domestic homicide review had noted: “Due to the
high level of contact there is a possibility that some agencies experienced drift and
became complacent and accepting of the levels of violence in this relationship.” DS1
confirmed that it is possible for the police to become ‘case-hardened’.
COMMENT
Louisa Ovington was well known to the police and at times came into contact with
them on an almost daily basis. The police were aware that she had involvement with
the mental health and social care services, as well as with probation. The domestic
homicide review noted that there were ten incidents in which the police were involved
that should have triggered referrals to other agencies. There were only in fact two
referrals, both in 2004 and both led to further investigation by the mental health