Harley Watson was unlawfully killed, jury says

A 12-year-old boy run over outside his school by a man with schizophrenia was unlawfully killed, an inquest ruled.

Harley Watson died after a car was driven into a crowd of children outside Debden Park High School in Loughton, Essex, on 2 December 2019.

Terence Glover, 52, was detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act last year.

The inquest jury said Essex Police and mental health service failings possibly contributed to his death.

The inquest in Chelmsford heard that Glover, who had paranoid schizophrenia, had had a mental health assessment after he made repeated phone calls to 999 in the months before the crash, where he said he "might run some schoolchildren over".

In a narrative verdict, the jury also ruled that failings by Essex Police and mental health services had "possibly" contributed towards his death.

The jury said the force's actions in dealing with Glover "fell short of what the jury felt was adequate".

Glover had not been properly assessed and an opportunity to prevent Harley's subsequent death was missed, the jury said.

Police had not put sufficient resources into the case, they did not pass concerns about Glover across departments and the jury concluded that releasing Glover from custody had been a "failure".

There were "shortcomings" in the mental health system, the jury said, with errors in carrying out a proper assessment of Glover.

After the inquest concluded, Harley's mum, Jo Fricker, 35, said: "Our kind-hearted, comical and much-loved son, Harley, is missed beyond words.

"We were appalled by what has come to light during the inquest.

"The numerous and repeated failings to keep people safe."

Following his arrest in September 2019 on suspicion of malicious communication, Glover was given a mental health assessment, which the coroner said "appeared to take no more than three minutes".

Summing up the case, Essex Coroner Lincoln Brookes said the mental health assessment at Harlow police station was "fundamentally flawed".

Glover gave a no comment interview about the "abusive" 999 calls and was released under police investigation the next day on 1 October.

He admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility and the attempted murders of one adult and nine children in the attack.

Andy Prophet, Deputy Chief Constable of Essex Police, said: "On behalf of the force, I would like to offer my sincere apologies for the failings by Essex Police identified at the Inquest.

"As a father of two, I cannot imagine anything worse than the trauma Harley's family are going through, and the devastation and frustration they must feel.

"It goes without saying that we accept in full the findings of the inquest.

"We have not waited until today to amend the way information is shared between the medical experts in mental health and the police. We have delivered more training to our contact handlers and our colleagues who respond to the calls we receive for help."

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