shirleymckie.myfastforum.org

Big Wullie · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 1149 Location: Glasgow

The judge who sat on this case must be living in cloud cuckoo land.

What parent can ever be too protective of their children ?

This is the most shocking decision I have ever heard in my entire life.

This judge needs kicked back into reality.

I know for a fact this family were screaming out for help for their Daughter and that they wanted her in a secure unit for her own safety so how can this idiot of a judge come out with the type of critisisms regarding this family and the prominent experts whom they called on behalf of their Daughter

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-...llowing-teenager-methadone-death/

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland...-39arrogant39-evidence.5511528.jp

The witness Dr Wrate appears on the website of the Law Society of recommended expert witness's yet here is this judge claiming he made perjorative comments.

Dr Robert Wrate can be found here and at least he seems quailfied to make decisions and form opinions of the clinical ones he was imparting to the court:

http://www.expertwitnessscotland....at=Db.1&desc=child%20abuse%20(family/child%20issues)

Wonder what qualifications the judge has to criticise his opinions.

Surely Danielle's family must complain to Lord Hamilton regarding this Judges comments.

"RIP Danielle"

Sincerest sympathies to the Scott Family.

Please do not give up we all support you.

The goings on at this hearing have bordered on the ridiculous along with their lines of questioning.

Time us families supported changes in our system so our grandchildren do not suffer in the way this Girl and her Family have.

We are all entitled to the proper medical attention at all times sadly Danielle never got hers do not let this happen any more.

Sheriff criticises family following teenager methadone death
Danielle Scott died at the age of 17. Her family have now been slammed following a fatal accident inquiry.
30 July 2009 16:36 PM
258 Views 112797
A sheriff has criticised the family of a vulnerable teenager who died after she was given the heroin substitute methadone.

Danielle Scott, 17, had extensive mental health and behavioural problems from an early age.

She was in the care of Howdenhall Young Persons' Unit in Edinburgh at the time of her death, but had absconded from the unit when she took the drug in February 2005.

Peter Meaney was later jailed for culpable homicide after admitting giving the Glasgow teenager alcohol and methadone.

Following a long-running fatal accident inquiry into her death, Sheriff John Horsburgh said on Thursday that members of Ms Scott's family "encouraged her to think she was mentally ill" and became over-involved in her treatment, to the extent of hindering plans for her care.

He said her father was "eager to blame" other people, was "very aggressive" at meetings.

The sheriff, who presided over the inquiry at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, also said he regarded the 17-year-old's mother as an "unreliable witness" at times.

Sheriff Horsburgh went on to criticise two retired consultants who gave evidence to the inquiry, saying they were inclined to place too much significance on Ms Scott's reported statements and on the family history "without critical examination".

In a his written determination, Sheriff Horsburgh said that the care the teenager received from the various doctors she encountered was "entirely appropriate".

He said: "Nothing arises in this aspect of the case that would have caused me to conclude that there were any reasonable steps in the medical area which could have been taken whereby Danielle's death might have been avoided."

Sheriff Horsburgh's 11-page opinion followed an inquiry lasting 42 days, in which he heard evidence from a number of witnesses, including Ms Scott's father James and mother Lorraine.

Her mother sought a ruling that the death might have been avoided by the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder and Miss Scott's return to secure accommodation.

In his decision, Sheriff Horsburgh said that records and evidence from witnesses showed that Ms Scott's treatment was subject to criticism by members of her family "at almost every stage".

The inquiry found that Ms Scott's death was due to acute methadone and alcohol poisoning.

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scotkaz · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 527

What a disgusting ruling from this Judge. Where did he get his medical training from I wonder?

Its clear that this girl was very mentally ill and needed to be protected. Her poor parents must have been demented trying to get help for her and then to be told this rubbish from someone who is NOT even qualified in mental health or medicine of any kind, must have been like a real hard kick in the guts.

My hearts go out to these poor people and RIP Danielle, She really sounds like she was a tortured soul.

Have these people no compassion or empathy for others ?

What a needless tragedy this was indeed.

Concerned in London · Joined: 30 Jan 2008 Posts: 3

I attended much of this FAI...This has been a gross miscarriage of 'Justice'..I knew Danielle and her family and saw much of what went on first hand ,including participating in the searches for Danielle when she went missing and trying to get her the help she so desperately needed ..My own view is that just too many heads were on the block and they could not allow it to succeed ...she was badly let down ...Having heard what was said ,or more to the point what was NOT said ....My statement was not submitted to the sheriff ....,I would also now seriously question the ability of a legal aid lawyer ...
www.justice4danielle.talktalk.net ....not updated yet...
You're safe now Danielle

scotkaz · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 527

I am in the process of reading through this site. It really has touched me deeply and I would like to show my support for this family.

Thank you for posting this site and letting us know more about Danielle and her family.

May God Bless them all.

Angeline · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 148

Firstly, I'd like to echo Skotcaz and Wullie here - thank you Concerned for letting us have access to the details of Danielle's circumstances, and I too would like to let the family know they have our understanding and support.

What I cannot believe here is the judge's comment that the family "encouraged" Danielle to believe she was mentally ill." This one comment alone shows that he knows absolutely nothing about mental illness in adolescence.

I am currently working with a family with a 16 year old with serious mental health issues, but he simply does not believe there is anything mentally wrong with him - and if there is, it's nothing serious. This family have been at their wits end trying to convince him that he needs help. Because he is over 16 (just), they can't force him to be assessed or have treatment, and they live in daily terror that something awful will happen.

I have been in meetings which have become extremely heated - some might even say "aggressive" -out of sheer desperation - so called specialists who seem to be totally disinterested in the real facts, and more interested in making the details fit their own theories.

Concerned is absolutely right - more and more young people will be lost in this dreadful gap in the system.

The family to which I refer had eventually managed to get their son to accept that he needed help - the first appointment for "assessment" was more than three months away. His response? "I told you there was nothing seriously wrong with me - if there was, they wouldn't wait three months to check." He has since refused to attend the appointment on the grounds that it's a waste of time, since he's clearly not mentally ill at all.

Danielle's parents have been crucified here for doing what any loving, responsible parents would have done. It is totally heartbreaking.

The sheriff here must be held to account - this simply cannot be allowed to become a precedent for failing our vulnerable and ill young people.
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As long as one heart still holds on, then hope will never really be gone

scotkaz · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 527

My heart goes out to Danielles mother and father. I can only but imagine the hell they are going through. If there is anything I can do to help please let me know.

Mother hits out at death findings

The mother of a teenager who died after being given a cocktail of alcohol and methadone has hit out at the findings of an inquiry into her death.

Danielle Scott was 17 when she was found dead after running away from a secure unit in Edinburgh.

Last week, a sheriff criticised her parents and said Danielle had been given "appropriate" care.

Her mother Lorraine said she had warned authorities Danielle would end up dead if she was not given proper help.

She criticised Sheriff John Horsburgh's findings of a fatal accident inquiry held last year and the system which she believes failed her daughter.

Mrs Scott, 48, from Riggend, Lanarkshire, said: "Our hearts are broken and it feels like we've lost her all over again.
“ Danielle has been failed yet again. This time by the so-called justice system ”
Lorraine Scott

"We are still in shock since hearing the outcome of our daughter's fatal accident inquiry."

Danielle, who struggled with an eating disorder and depression since she was 12, was sent to a secure unit after spending more than a year in hospital.

The teenager was in Howdenhall Young Persons' Unit in Edinburgh when she absconded in February 2005, and was later found dead in the flat of a drug addict.

The following year, 27-year-old Peter Meaney was jailed for culpable homicide after admitting giving her alcohol and the heroin substitute methadone.

'Proper diagnosis'

Sheriff Horsburgh said members of Miss Scott's family "encouraged her to think she was mentally ill" and became over-involved in her treatment.

He said her father, Jim, was "eager to blame" other people and was "very aggressive" at meetings.

The sheriff also said he regarded Mrs Scott as an "unreliable witness" at times.

She sought a ruling the death might have been avoided by the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder and Danielle's return to secure accommodation.

The sheriff also said two retired consultants who gave evidence to the inquiry were inclined to place too much significance on Danielle's reported statements and on the family history "without critical examination".

In his written determination, Sheriff Horsburgh said the care the teenager received was "entirely appropriate".

But Mrs Scott said: "Neither myself or Jim had any desire to label our daughter or to have to call on the Mental Health Act.

"But had it kept her safe and possibly get her a proper diagnosis then we would have been more than willing."

Mrs Scott said she thought Howdenhall was a "wholly inappropriate environment" for her daughter, adding: "Danielle has been failed yet again. This time by the so-called justice system."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/...nd/edinburgh_and_east/8189025.stm

Published: 2009/08/07 07:28:33 GMT