‘Mentally ill man languished in cell’

A MAN who is said to have mental health issues was left languishing in a police cell for an extra night amid an argument over who should transport him to hospital.

Kyle Forbes told police he had taken an overdose of his medication but when he was taken to A&E at Ninewells Hospital he became aggressive and committed a breach of the peace. Forbes, 25, of Acorn Court, Cellardyke, admitted at Dundee Sheriff Court that on December 23 he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner.

Fiscal depute Joanne Smith told the court that police had received a call from Forbes saying he had taken pills and they attended with an ambulance crew.

He became aggressive at Ninewells and swung a chair around and called a doctor a “cow”. He was placed in the cells that day and was due to appear in court on December 27. However, a police doctor was of the opinion that Forbes was a danger to himself and he was not brought up from the cells to appear before a sheriff. Instead, it was arranged for him to stay at Stratheden Hospital in Cupar.

His solicitor Sue Williams told the court there was a dispute between police from Tayside and Fife divisions over who should transport him to the hospital so he remained in the cells overnight. Mrs Williams said that on Thursday December 28 the same doctor had seen Forbes in the morning before his court appearance and was now of the opinion that he did not need to be medically assessed, as the opinion of NHS Fife was that his problems were drug or alcoholrelated. She added: “He is quite clearly unwell and he is on medication for depression, so he has obviously been assessed as having a mental health issue.

“This doctor thought there should be an order for him to be assessed and there was a bed for him on Wednesday night but now today he has changed his mind.

“I’m very disturbed about this because he has been i n a police cell since December 23.”

Sheriff Lorna Drummond said she was concerned about the situation but had been told by the Crown that Forbes doesn’t have a medical disorder.

Mrs Williams moved that Forbes be remanded in custody for three weeks for a medical assessment and Sheriff Drummond agreed.

Sentence was deferred on the breach of the peace matter until January 17.

Ninewells Hospital