The chaotic and desperate lifestyle of a mentally ill man who stabbed his mother's boyfriend to death is revealed in an independent report into how health services cared for him.

The investigation considered how John Hampson was free to return to the home of his mother, Deborah Beney, to stab her partner Derek Brotherton, 42, on July 3, 2004.

At the time of the incident at Lynfield Drive, Daisy Hill, the then 27-year-old Hampson, who subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act, was under the care of Bradford District Care Trust's Assertive Outreach Team.

The report reveals how near the end of June, 2004, Hampson's mental health began to deteriorate. He was taking amphetamines, heroin, methadone and crack cocaine.

A care plan was put in place but he failed to comply and went missing.

The report was commissioned by West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority and written by Dr Geoff Roberts, an expert in mental health associated deaths.

He criticises lack of action when Hampson went missing, including failure to report it to his consultant until next day. This delayed a Mental Health Act assessment, which would have seen Hampson admitted for treatment.

But Dr Roberts states: "It would be nave to suggest the outcome would necessarily have been different had the information been imparted."

Others criticisms include the Trust's record-keeping not meeting national standards.

The report contains recommendations to improve patient care and management of untoward incidents.

The Care Trust has put together a plan and action taken includes a new computer system, staff training on key issues and the development of a 24-hour crisis team.

The investigation found many aspects of Hampson's care demonstrated "the flexible responses of a dedicated service".

It highlighted the caring and professionalism of staff and said clinical records indicated a "clear, intensive and continuing commitment to engage appropriately" with him in the two years before the incident.

It said care "reflected the patient's history, lack of engagement and presentation and can therefore be considered appropriate".

Medical director of the Care Trust Simon Baugh said: "This is a terrible tragedy and our sympathies are very much with the family and friends over their loss."

He said the local NHS and its partners were determined to learn lessons.

DIARY OF DESPERATION

According to the report John Hampson was 12 when he started using cannabis, moving to amphetamines and heroin at 15 and later crack cocaine and LSD.

He was breaking into cars at 12 and at 15 received a supervision order for actual bodily harm.

In January 1995 he was detained in Lynfield Mount Hospital with an acute psychotic illness and paranoid delusional ideas. This was put down to drug use.

The next few years saw him back in Lynfield Mount and in prison. He continued to use heroin and crack and, in 1998, said he wanted to kill members of his family. He absconded, refused medication and was abusive and threatening and was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Records from Lynfield Mount in 2002 and 2003 show he bit and butted nurses and allegedly stabbed a patient with a potato peeler.

Records of the days before the attack reveal a chaotic life with many members of the family abusing drugs.

His mother told healthcare workers her boyfriend "blacked her eye" and was also using drugs and bullying John Hampson for his drugs. She revealed Hampson hid knives under his mattress. On June 30 a consultant said he felt the household was in chaos.

Hampson was found a place at the New Beehive Hotel on Westgate, Bradford, which the report praises as "innovative" and where workers reported him as calmer but he refused to stay.

A bed was found in respite care at Oaklodge but when workers went to pick him up on July 1 to take him there he had disappeared.

Next day a consultant planned to section Hampson, who was convinced pop star Michael Jackson was controlling his thoughts.

Over the next 24 hours healthcare staff and social workers tried to resolve the situation but it was to end with the death of Mr Brotherton.

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk