Health warnings over mother who stabbed daughter 'ignored'

Aisling Murray, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, stabbed five-year-old Chloe Fahey 52 times.

The ritualistic killing took place at their house in Stretford, Greater Manchester in June 2003.

Police officers found the mother-of-two in a catatonic state, having stripped her child's bedroom of fixtures and fittings, removed all of the wallpaper, and turned the bed into an altar before turning on her little girl.

A series of warnings were missed by the authorities which could have saved Chloe's life, the report for the NHS North West reveals.

A few weeks before the tragedy, Bolton, Salford and Trafford Mental Health Trust discharged Murray from hospital. Chloe's father, David Fahey, later made repeated calls to the emergency services for help, while teachers at her school also dialled 999 expressing their concern.

Murray attacked Mr Fahey the night before the killing and she was arrested. Officers took her to hospital but she was later discharged, and he moved out.

On the day of Chloe's death, a Trafford community mental health team visited Murray but did not admit her to hospital. Later that evening, her family visited Stretford police station and begged officers to go to the house. Officers went to the house but left after speaking to her through a window.

Hours later neighbours heard Chloe beg for her life before she was stabbed to death.

The care provided was "sadly lacking" and the family were left isolated, while their needs were "consistently ignored", the report states, adding: "The family have found their involvement with social services to be a bruising and disenchanting encounter."

The main social worker tasked with looking after Murray was inexperienced, the report reveals. Better communication across all agencies and particularly with carers and families is needed, while social workers treating mentally ill patients must be experienced, it said.

The chief executive of NHS North West, Mike Farrar, who ordered the inquiry, said: "This report shows there were shortcomings in the care and treatment of the child's mother, who was a vulnerable person. We are deeply sorry that, as a patient, she was let down and we give our sincere apologies to the family."

Murray was detained indefinitely in a secure mental unit after pleading guilty to murder, but this was replaced by a conviction for manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility by the Court of Appeal 18 months ago.

The chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, Marjorie Wallace, said: "Although the services involved say things have improved, tragedies like this are still happening for the same reasons: failure by inexperienced staff to assess risk; and breakdown in communication between agencies."