Four Missed Warnings: Inquest Hears NHS Failed to Record Concerns Before Fatal Stabbing
An inquest into the fatal stabbing of Paul Wells by his neighbour, Richard Matthews, has exposed devastating communication failures within Somerset’s mental health services. Mr. Matthews, who suffered from severe mental health problems, killed Mr. Wells in Highbridge on June 25, 2020.
The key finding so far is the complete breakdown in recording concerns. At least four attempts by the police and Mr. Matthews’ housing provider to flag his deteriorating mental state to the NHS were never documented on his record.
Dr. Andreas Papadopoulos, an associate medical director at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, admitted that this repetition of concerns from multiple agencies should have sparked “professional curiosity” about the patient’s condition.
The inquest also heard about a failed opportunity to intervene just before the killing:
- An NHS offer for an assessment was emailed to Mr. Matthews.
- He replied with an alarming email, making allegations of sexual assault and claiming his NHS record was fraudulent.
On the day of the killing, police visited Mr. Matthews’ home after his mother called, expressing worry and asking for him to be sectioned due to abusive messages. Officers spent 45 minutes knocking and shouting but left without contact, deciding they lacked grounds for forced entry.
