November 20, 2015 4.24 pm This story is over 99 months old

Man accused of murdering grandson in Lincoln was “not suitable for discharge” from psychiatric unit

Trial continues: A jury heard that Greene told a GP he’d “snapped” at his grandson before “putting him in the bath and drowning him”.

Jurors in the trial of the man alleged to have murdered his own grandson were told on Friday, November 20 that no care programme was put in place for the defendant when he was released from a psychiatric unit just 12 days before the incident.

Dr Nicola Thomas, a locum consultant psychiatrist at the Peter Hodgkinson Centre, told the jury at Lincoln Crown Court that she reviewed the case of Stewart Greene only 36 hours before he was discharged and formed the opinion that he was not suitable for early discharge.

Dr Thomas said that following her review of the case on December 9, 2014 she thought that Greene was not ready to be discharged on that day or shortly afterwards.

“It was a plan to have gradual leave and work towards discharge. That had always been the plan.”

Instead the jury was told that Greene was discharged on 11 December with out a care package.

Greene had been admitted to Connolly Ward on the unit on July 29 following a referral from another doctor and remained there apart from spells of home leave and at a rehabilitation unit, until his discharge. He complained of hearing voices and of experiencing pains in his head.

Dr Thomas said she was unaware until later that no care package was put in place for Greene before he returned to living in the community.

She said: “That was not my plan. The discharge was not discussed with me at all.”

Greene, through his barrister Timothy Spencer QC, has admitted that he drowned nine year old Alex Robinson in the bath of the little boy’s home in Pennell Street, Lincoln, two days before Christmas last year.

The boy had been left alone with Greene for less than an hour while his mother went shopping for Christmas food.

Dr John Sharrock, a GP who examined Greene at Lincoln Police Station, told the jury that Greene made a confession to him.

“He said that in the last six months his depression had increased. He had not been thinking and not been able to think straight.

“He further told me that on the day of December 23 he was left at home with his grandson. He told me he got angry with his grandson and he snapped. He put him in the bath and drowned him.

“I asked him why he snapped. He said he couldn’t remember.”

Greene, he said, then added “I’m guilty. I did it.”

Dr Sharrock added, “he said since his discharge from hospital he had not taken any medication because he thought it was making him worse.”

Greene, 65, of Danes Court, Grimoldby, near Louth, denies the murder of Alex Robinson on December 23 2014.

The trial continues on Monday.

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