Yahoo News Widower raises concerns about killer son's care
The father of Bradley Huggins who stabbed wife and mother Hazel Huggins to death, has raised concerns over the care of his son.
Bradley Huggins pleaded guilty in March to the manslaughter of 53-year-old Hazel Huggins, by diminished responsibility. The 25-year-old had denied murdering his mother and his plea was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.
At the sentencing hearing at Plymouth Crown Court prosecutor Christopher Quinlan KC explained that Bradley was diagnosed as suffering psychosis in March 2019 and was prescribed anti-psychotic medication. In the summer of 2020 he was admitted to a rehabilitation unit but discharged in August of that year. However, by April 2021 the court heard Bradley had become fixated with the media and paranoid that he was being sought by a gang who were accusing him of being a paedophile.
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In October 2021 he continued to experience psychotic symptoms and in January 2022 he was detained under the Mental Health Act and admitted to Torbay Hospital after being arrested for assaulting his father. The court was told that Bradley had stopped taking his medication four weeks previously.
In December 2022 he was discharged and sent to the Cypress Hospital in Newton Abbot. The following February he was prescribed anti-psychotic medication, but again stopped taking it. In March 2023 the court was told how Hazel had become concerned at Bradley being discharged from hospital.
Mr Quinlan KC noted a report on May 19, 2023 from the mental health team who found "no evidence of psychosis" and felt the issues were more due to stresses at home, Autistic Spectrum Disorder and the abuse of cannabis. He was referred back into the care of his GP and his case was closed by the mental health team.
The prosecutor added: "Two months later he killed his mother."
The court heard that during the incident Bradley had taken both Hazel and his mobile phone and filmed part of the attack, including the moments when he hacked off one of her ears and almost cut off the other one. In all she suffered 11 stab wounds to her face, torso and left upper limb.
During the reading of his victim impact statement in the witness box, Hazel's husband - and Bradley's father - Guy Huggins fought back tears as he said he "fully" forgave Bradley, saying he wanted him to "receive and accept the mental health treatment, for him to be healed and restored".
However, he stated firmly that he and his family "definitely felt let down by the care service over the last five years" and he had "lost confidence in the mental health services".
Speaking outside Plymouth Crown Court following the sentencing of Bradley to an indefinite period in a secure hospital, Guy Huggins told waiting reporters: "There are elements of the case that came out today, certainly from the expert psychiatrists and also from the prosecution and defence which absolutely indicate that some significant questions need to be asked around Brad's care, which has been an ongoing challenge for us for five years."
He went on to state that he was not able to comment further at this stage as he did not have legal representation, but he added: "we will be having further conversations".
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