'Beginning of nightmare' for family of man killed by psychiatric patient in stabbing - as attacker to be allowed leave
11 April 2025, 22:04 | Updated: 11 April 2025, 23:39
The family of a man who was killed by a psychiatric patient while walking his dog have said the incident was just the "beginning of our nightmare" as his attacker is allowed out on visits.
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Lewis Stone, a retired butcher, was on holiday in Borth, Mid Wales, when he was repeatedly stabbed by David Fleet in 2019.
Fleet, who suffers schizophrenia, had been released from a secure psychiatric unit just 10 days before the incident.
Six years on, Mr Stone's family have been told Fleet will be allowed overnight leave from the secure unit where he has been held, despite them still having questions about the psychiatric care he received before the attack.
Vicki Lindsay, Mr Stone's stepdaughter, called on the NHS to publish its internal reports so the family can understand why decisions were made and ensure lessons are learned.
At around 9.20am on February 28 2019, Mr Stone left the holiday home where he had been staying with his wife, Elizabeth, to walk his dog, Jock.
Some 20 minutes later, on the bank of the River Leri, he came across Fleet, who stabbed him several times.
Mr Stone died three months later.
Fleet, who was 21 at the time, pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility and was detained indefinitely at a secure psychiatric unit.
On Thursday, Mr Stone's family was told he would be allowed overnight leave.
During the sentencing, Swansea Crown Court heard Fleet experienced voices in his head saying they were going to kill him and take over his brain if he did not attack someone.
Fleet had been detained under the Mental Health Act in October 2018 but was sent home 10 days before the incident, despite his mother raising concerns about his release.
'Worst period of our lives'
Speaking to the PA news agency, Ms Lindsay said: "I thought that February 28 2019, when Lewis was attacked, and the three months that followed before he died from his injuries, was the worst period of our lives.
"Little did I know however that that was just the beginning of our nightmare. As victims, we have been treated disgracefully.
Read more: Two members of a group that hacked a DPD delivery driver to death with an axe jailed for life
"We still do not know why the killer was released 10 days before he attacked Lewis, who made that decision and why, and who is going to be held accountable for it.
"We have been kept completely in the dark and treated like dirt on the bottom of the NHS's shoes.
"But as if all that were not bad enough, only six years on, we now get to live knowing that the killer is now allowed out at night-time and will surely be released permanently soon.
"What kind of a country is this that we live in where victims of killings are treated like this?
"In Lewis's name, our family will not stop fighting until we get justice for him and those responsible for his death are held to account."
She added that she was not shocked at Fleet's overnight release. "It's been kicks in the teeth throughout," she said.
"Whoever makes these decisions doesn't consider my family at all, it's like they are sticking a middle finger up at us and saying 'deal with it'.
"I just hope my fears don't run true that he does it again."
Sharon Daniel, Hywel Dda University Health Board's director of nursing, quality and patient experience, said they would not be making reports public.
In a statement to Sky News, shared with PA, she said: "The Duty of Candour for patients came into force in Wales in April 2023. At the time of this incident and concern, we fulfilled our duties to be open."
Asked if the health board would make an apology to both Mr Stone and David Fleet's families, Ms Daniels said: "In the event of serious incidents, we have robust processes in place for reviewing internally, identifying any issues, and where appropriate preparing an improvement plan to prevent such an occurrence in the future.
"We regret such incidents and always seek to learn from them."
The decision to release people on indefinite detention is made by the Ministry of Justice, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We understand this decision will be difficult for the Stone family, and our thoughts are with them.
"Any decision to approve access to the community is only made after a thorough risk assessment and with strict safeguards in place"
Shelagh Fogarty says 'transparency' should've come first in Nottingham killer's case
The call for Fleet's health reports to be released comes after NHS England reversed its decision not to publish a full report into the care received by Nottingham triple killer Valdo Calocane, who also suffered from schizophrenia.
That report exposed failings in Calocane's treatment.
Radd Seiger, the Stone family's adviser and a former NHS lawyer, who also advised the Nottingham families, said: "It is frankly outrageous that Lewis's family find out that the killer is being given overnight leave on the very day they go public with their request for the most basic of human rights for victims of mental health related homicide, which is to understand what went so badly wrong in the lead up to Lewis' killing and why on earth such an ill person was released on to the streets and left free to wreak havoc.
"Actions have consequences."
He said the health board needed to be transparent about why the killing happened.
"As with the Nottingham attacks case where the NHS was forced to disclose the full investigation report despite their violent protests, the same will happen in this case even if it takes my last ounce of strength," he said.
"Shame on them and their legal advisers for putting Lewis's family through this, shame on them."
He described the case as a "disaster from start to finish" for the family, saying Fleet "clearly and plainly did not receive adequate treatment as an inpatient".
"There must have been serious errors of clinical judgment and a failure to do a risk assessment adequately or at all and manage that risk," he said.
