Independent review published after mental health patient went on to commit murder

The family of a woman who was beheaded in a Tenerife supermarket have said their mother would still be alive if a Welsh hospital had recognised her killer had serious mental health problems.

A report found there were "shortcomings" in the care of Bulgarian Deyan Deyanov, who killed Jennifer Mills-Westley, by the Ablett psychiatric unit in north Wales.

Mrs Mills-Westley's daughters said: "We are shocked to learn that the clearly prejudicial views of the medical staff severely compromised the diagnosis and therefore subsequent treatment of Deyan Deyanov.

"Had Betsi Cadwaladr recognised that Deyan Deyanov was a young man with very serious mental health problems then our mother would still be alive today."

Health Inspectorate Wales have made 19 recommendations for change with Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board's mental heal care after a highly critical report into the treatment of Deyan Deyanov - who was twice admitted to the Ablett Unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd: and who, months after his discharge, went on to kill 60 year old Jennifer Mills-Westley in a frenzied attack in a Spanish supermarket.

The report says that despite Deyanov showing signs of religious mania - reported in staff notes that he had 'grandiose ideas that he is the Messiah and has powers from God', and paranoia, believing hidden cameras were trying to film him - he was diagnosed as 'malingering'

The report notes that staff who treated him and felt he was clinically ill felt over-ruled by staff who held to the view that he was malingering.

The recommendations deal with every aspect of his care: there's criticism of the limited contact and understanding of Deyanov's past - which could have been improved if there'd been more communication with his aunt in Flint; criticism of the standards of care - the way his diagnosis was reached - and what happened once Deyanov left North Wales' care system.

Betsi Cadwaladr in a statement say they will significantly improve their policies and procedures and acknowledge there were clear shortcomings in the care Deyan Deyanov received.

An independent review will be published later into decisions made by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, after a mental health patient released from one of its hospitals, went on to commit murder.

Deyan Deyanov, who had paranoid schizophrenia, attacked 60-year-old Jennifer Mills-Westley while she was shopping in the resort of Los Cristianos in the Canary Islands in 2011.

The 30-year-old had been admitted to the psychiatric unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan in 2010, but was released in October that year.

He was sentenced to 20 years in a secure psychiatric unit, after being convicted of murder by a jury.

The independent report was commissioned by the Welsh Government after Ms Mills-Westley's two daughters pressed for an inquiry.