Man who beat dad to death at Swansea Vallley home not psychotic says mental health expert

A man who beat his father to death was not psychotic, according to a mental health professional who assessed him a year before the attack.

Dr Kim Harrison, a renowned chest consultant, was beaten to death by his son Daniel Harrison at their family home in Swansea in March 2022.

Will Johnston, a mental health expert, who was speaking as a witness at the inquest into Dr Harrison's death, says he had made a number of visits to assess Daniel Harrison in January 2021, and said he "had presented stereotypically as someone who would be quite happy living in a teepee in west Wales."

He added that Daniel Harrison came across in their conversations as "gentle, intelligent and considerate," as well as being "very passionate about his career and the environment."

Mr Johnston concluded at the time the doctor's son had freely chosen an "alternative lifestyle" which may not have been the one his parents wished for their son.

He says he spoke with Dr Kim Harrison before talking to his son and was aware of the family's concerns. He said, however, he did not witness the issues they were reporting.

When questioned by barrister Bridget Dolan KC on behalf of Dr Kim Harrison's wife, Mr Johnston confirmed he had not tried to speak to her son's GP and was not aware the doctor had, like Daniel Harrison's parents, requested a mental health assessment be carried out.

The barrister challenged Mr Johnston that he would "have known that Dan was having a relapse" if he had obtained all the available information from his family, friends and GP, if he had not "avoided asking difficult questions of Dan" and had not "closed his mind" to the views of other professionals.

Mr Johnston denied he had avoided asking difficult questions, saying it was better to let Daniel Harrison "tell his story" during their meetings rather than "firing questions" at him.

He also denied closing his mind to the views of other professionals, and said the large amount of information he received from Daniel Harrison's parents gave "sufficient background to Dan."

The mental health professional told the inquest his observation of Harrison "did not match" the experiences reported to him, adding: "I was satisfied that Dan's expressed wishes about how he lived his life were not directly related to any acute psychotic episode."

The inquest heard that Daniel Harrison, who has a long history of mental health issues, was becoming paranoid by late 2020, before his meetings with Mr Johnston.

He called his parents "fascists" and accused them of being involved in a Covid conspiracy, the inquest was told.

The hearing was told that by March 2022 Daniel Harrison was detained at Neath Port Talbot Hospital but, on the morning of his father's death, absconded from the unit by pushing past a member of staff unlocking a door.

The 37-year-old ran to Port Talbot bus station before making his way to his parent's house.

Staff at the unit called his mother Jane to tell her he had left the hospital, and she and her husband responded by locking the windows and doors of their home.

The hearing was told that shortly afterwards their son arrived at the property and started banging on the kitchen door.

Mrs Harrison went to call 999 but heard her 68-year-old husband opening the door to their son.

The inquest heard she returned to the kitchen to find her husband on the floor with catastrophic head and neck injuries, while he was not breathing.

Mrs Harrison, also a retired doctor, put her husband in the recovery position and called the emergency services.

The gravely injured man was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.

After the attack, Harrison bought food and caught a train to London.

He was arrested the following day at a hotel in Paddington as he ran a bath.

Harrison pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was made the subject of a hospital order.

The inquest continues and is expected to last for two weeks.

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