A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will held into the death of a Lanarkshire mum stabbed to death by a mentally ill patient.
Joanne Gallacher was knifed 57 times by James Kennedy after popping in to check on his welfare when was released from hospital two days after drinking weed killer.
He had been assessed by psychiatrists before he was sent home, but hours later police had to removed steak knives from his flat in Biggar after he dialled 999 for an ambulance and hung up.
READ MORE: 'NHS to blame' for death of mum stabbed 57 times by mentally ill man she met in hospital, say family
The 33-year-old East Kilbride mum-of-four struggled with her own mental health, but often tried to help others.
On the day of her death, a psychiatric nurse spoke to Kennedy on the phone and a police call handler rang Joanne, who was concerned for his safety, to tell her Kennedy was safe and well. She was stabbed to death two hours later on December 21, 2018.
Kennedy was sent to the State Hospital at Carstairs after admitting culpable homicide due to diminished responsibility at the High Court in Glasgow in 2019.
Her mum Louise spoke out in the wake of Joanne's death, blaming the NHS.
Now the inquiry will investigate the circumstances leading up to the tragedy, with a focus on the way Kennedy was managed and risk assessed by mental health services.
The care planning and interagency communications in the lead up to her killing will also be examined.
Procurator Fiscal Katrina Parkes, who leads on death investigations for the Crown Prosecution and Procurator Fiscals Service, said: “The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Joanne Gallacher occurred in circumstances giving rise to significant public concern and as such a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry should be held.
“An FAI will allow a full public airing of the evidence of the procurator fiscal’s wider investigations with interested parties. The evidence will be tested in a public setting and be the subject of an independent judicial determination.”
The preliminary hearing is set for July 12 at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
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