London Banter - Tube maniac at large

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/14911073

Hunt for Tube maniac
By Clair Weaver, Evening Standard
24 November 2004
A major police hunt is under way today for an escaped mental patient
detained for pushing two women onto Tube tracks.

He was let out of Chase Farm hospital two days ago in an extraordinary
blunder seven months after being detained indefinitely under the Mental
Health Act for attempting to kill two Tube passengers.
An inquiry has now been launched into why bosses at the Enfield hospital
overruled the advice of his psychiatrist and gave him "ground leave",
allowing him to walk out unescorted.

Astonishingly, it is the second time he has gone missing from a mental
hospital. His attempt to kill two women at Euston Tube station came after he
was mistakenly given unescorted day release from St Luke's hospital in
Hackney.
Studders, described as white and of medium build with shoulder-length fair
hair, has been in and out of hospital since being diagnosed in 1995.
Enfield Mental Health Trust director Oliver Treacy said: "An inquiry is
under way, as is normal in these circumstances, and we will be examining
issues around him being granted ground leave. The decision to allow him out
on agreed planned leave would have been taken at a senior level based on
risk assessments and discussions that morning. People do recover."
He added: "We are hoping he will come back of his own accord but we are
looking for him and cooperating with police. We are not being complacent."
During his trial, his psychiatrist admitted Studders, who had a persecution
complex and had been threatening to kill people, should never have been let
out of St Luke's.
Describing him as "extremely unwell", Dr Katherine Bartlett told how he was
convinced the police and people from his home town were out to get him. But
since his admission to Chase Farm in April, health chiefs decided his
behaviour had improved enough to allow him out on short periods of "planned
leave".
At his trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard how he smiled as he attacked
commuters Christine Goldsmith and Tamlyn Monson within minutes of each other
on a northbound Northern Line platform in May last year.
After pushing Ms Goldsmith onto the tracks, he told a member of the public
who intervened: "I am trying to kill her." He then attempted to push Ms
Monson, who managed to avoid falling onto the tracks.
Studders was eventually overpowered by other passengers, the court heard. He
was kept in custody when he said he would reoffend if he was released.
When he disappeared, he was wearing blue jeans, a blue T-shirt, a blue
cardigan with red and white striped sleeves and white trainers.
Anyone with any information is asked to call 0208 345 4767.