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

CHAPTER 1 - NARRATIVE OF KEY DATES AND EVENTS
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217. Louisa Ovington was accepted on a Home Office programme attempting to
treat dangerous and severe personality disordered offenders while in custody.
COMMENT
During the last few months before the death of Mr Hilton, Louisa Ovington was
allocated to a new probation officer and a new care coordinator. She strongly disliked
the probation officer and was aggressive to her. Her response to CPN 2 however
seemed positive, although subsequently (after the death) she admitted that she had
lied to CPN 2 about her drinking.
CPN 2 told the panel that she had “a few apprehensions” when she first started
working with Louisa Ovington “because of her history”, but Louisa Ovington was
never hostile or threatening to her. She knew that Louisa Ovington was chaotic,
abused drugs and alcohol to quite a severe extent, had been on a secure unit and had
had drug induced psychosis. However, CPN 2 told the panel that she did not think she
was given enough information about Louisa Ovington. Despite this however the care
plan prepared by CPN 2 was detailed and Louisa Ovington was appropriately placed
on enhanced CPA, (although the risk assessment may have suffered from her lack of
information).
The panel is surprised that following the decision by probation that no home visit
should be made to Louisa Ovington because of her aggressive and abusive behaviour,
this information was not, apparently, passed on to the care coordinator or any
other agency. CPN 2 (and Support Worker 1) continued to make lone visits to Louisa
Ovington at home.
In the last few months of 2005, although Louisa Ovington’s behaviour continued to be
disturbed, there was nothing that might have indicated to the care coordinator that
Mr Hilton’s death at the hands of Louisa Ovington was imminent, or more likely.
The panel noted with great concern that throughout their dealings with Louisa
Ovington, none of the agencies (other than the police) was recorded as having made
contact with Mr Hilton, the person with whom she had the most significant and
longstanding adult relationship outside of her family. In view of the turbulence of their
relationship, the frequent allegations of domestic violence, each against the other and
frequent threats made by Louisa Ovington that she would kill or attack Mr Hilton, the
panel is surprised that there are no records of Mr Hilton being involved in any care
planning, or being spoken to about the risks she posed to him.