AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN A TOP SECURITY MENTAL HOSPITA

AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN A TOP SECURITY MENTAL HOSPITAL,

A BABY KILLER WAS SENT BACK ON MONDAY SCREAMING : ‘I DON’T WANT TO

GO.

‘

HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO THE OLD BAILEY BECAUSE PSYCHIATRISTS

DECIDED HE WAS WELL ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO FACE JUSTICE

BUT DIRECTLY HE REALISED THE JUDGE WAS SENDING HIM

BACK TO RAMPTON HE JUMPED TO HIS FEET AND ROARED IN PROTEST AND WAS

TAKEN STRUGGLING TO THE CELLS.

JUNIOR HAMILTON, 35, WAS RETURNED TO RAMPTON BECAUSE

THE RECORDER OF LONDON, SIR JAMES MISKIN, QC, FEARED HE COULD STILL

BE A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC.

THE RARELY USED PROCEDURE, WHICH HAD BROUGHT HIM TO COURT

AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF TREATMENT, WAS AUTHORISED BY THE DIRECTOR OF

PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS.

IN 1978 HAMILTON BATTERED TO DEATH HIS 10 MONTH OLD NEPHEW,

LEROY JACKSON, AFTER ABSCONDING FROM ANOTHER LOCAL MENTAL HOSPITAL.

,

BUT AT THAT TIME HE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE UNFIT TO STAND TRIAL BY

JURY.

HE WAS THEN SENT TO RAMPTON WHERE HE HAS BEEN EVER SINCE.

THE COURT HEARD ON MONDAY THAT HAMILTON HAD MADE

‘SUFFICIENT PROGRESS’ IN THE MEANTIME TO NOW APPEAR IN COURT.

THE 6FT TALL BLACK MAN, DRESSED CASUALLY, HAD DIFFICULTY

GETTING OUT THE WORDS TO ANSWER THE CHARGES.

STUTTERING, HE

PLEADED GUILTY TO THE MANSLAUGHTER OF HIS NEPHEW IN FEBRUARY, 1978.

THE CROWN ACCEPTED HIS PLEA OF NOT GUILTY TO MURDER

MR TIMOTHY DAVIS, PROSECUTING, SAID HAMILTON, A ‘PARANOID

SCHIZOPHRENIC’, WENT ON THE RUN FROM BEXLEY MENTAL HOSPITAL IN 1978.

FORTY-EIGHT HOURS LATER HE BATTERED HIS NEPHEW TO DEATH.

‘HE HAD SPENT THE DAY PLAYING WITH HIS SISTER’S TWO

CHILDREN,’ SAID COUNSEL.

‘WHILE SHE WAS OUT HE BECAME ANNOYED BY THE

LITTLE ONE’S CRYING.

HE STRUCK HIM A SERIES OF BLOWS.

‘

WHEN THE MOTHER, NOVELETTE JACKSON, NOW AGED 31, RETURNED

TO HER HOME ON THE PEPYS ESTATE , DEPTFORD, SHE FOUND HER SON WITH A

FRACTURED SKULL.

HE LATER DIED IN HOSPITAL FROM A BRAIN HAEMORRAGE

AND PNEUMONIA.

JUDGE MISKIN ORDERED HAMILTON TO BE DETAINED IN RAMPTON

WITHOUT LIMIT OF TIME.

‘IN MY EXPERIENCE PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA IS THE MOST

DANGEROUS OF ALL MENTAL ILLNESSES,’ SAID THE JUDGE.

‘THE SUFFERERS

ARE UNPREDICTABLE AND THERE IS A HIGH POSSIBILITY OF THEM BECOMING

AGGRESSIVE.

‘IN THE INTEREST AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC NO RISKS SHOULD

BE RUN.

‘

MR.

CLIVE NICHOLS, DEFENDING, HAD ASKED FOR HAMILTON TO BE

SENT TO BEXLEY HOSPITAL, A MEDIUM SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT.

BUT DOCTORS

WERE UNABLE TO GIVE 100 PER CENT GUARANTEES THAT HAMILTON WOULD NOT

ESCAPE AND OFFEND AGAIN.

ENDS