Jamie Richardson: "callous and violent" attack on patient

A judge today called for a Government inquiry into how York District Hospital treated an attack victim who later died.

The Recorder of Leeds, Brian Walsh QC, spoke out after jailing Jamie Keith Richardson, 18, for four years over the "callous and violent" attack on vulnerable psychiatric patient Marcus Pullan.

Richardson had admitted manslaughter over the death of Mr Pullan, 54, a patient at The Retreat Hospital, York.

But Judge Walsh said he was sentencing him on the basis that Mr Pullan should not have died of the injuries he received, even though the punching and kicking assault was one of the worst of its kind.

He said he would urge Health Secretary Alan Milburn to consider looking into the treatment given to the attack victim by doctors at York District Hospital.

"I am troubled by what happened at the hospital and I will say no more about it at the moment, but I do intend to write to the Secretary of State for the relevant department inviting him to consider holding an inquiry into the way this man (Mr Pullan) was treated in hospital."

He was sending transcripts of one doctor's evidence and inviting him to consider evidence given by other doctors involved in the treatment of Mr Pullan immediately after the attack on March 12.

Leeds Crown Court heard Richardson had previous convictions for robbing a small boy on York railway station, attacking a teacher and assaulting a woman as she held a baby in her arms.

During the trial last month the jury heard that Mr Pullan was released from hospital on March 15 but collapsed within hours and later died.

Richardson, then of Bootham Crescent, Clifton, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds that he never intended to cause him really serious harm.

He was put on probation with 100 hours' community service ten days before the attack by York Youth Court for a series of offences including the assault on the woman carrying the baby.

Judge Walsh said he had no doubt that Richardson had broken the man's jaw and kicked him more than once as he lay on the ground.

He told Richardson: "You will continue to be in my judgement at risk of committing violent offences against vulnerable people."

Dr Mike Porte, medical director of York NHS Trust, said this afternoon: "We will be conducting a thorough review of how we manage this type of patient to minimise the chances of a recurrence of an event such as this.

"Our understanding is that Mr Pullan was seen by an experienced doctor in A & E but although he noted that the patient had multiple injuries, he did not recognise a small pneumothorax (a condition where air gets into the chest cavity) at this time.

"The situation was complicated because the patient was distressed and uncooperative, and refused further X-rays which might well have avoided the consequences.

"The pneumothorax was diagnosed by a radiologist, but unfortunately this was too late to save the victim."

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