MUM OF BOMB HOAXER SAYS HE WAS LET DOWN BY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
THE mother of a man who was jailed after he told staff he had planted a bomb at a busy train station believes mental health services “let him down” and that the hoax could have been avoided.
Leigh Evans, 47, from Christina Street in Butetown, Cardiff, told staff at Cardiff Central train station that he had “left a parcel” containing nails and Semtex – a type of explosive – on the day Wales played Ireland at the Principality Stadium in a warm-up match for the Rugby World Cup last year.
His mother Elizabeth Lewis, 68, has criticised the local health board, claiming her son should have been sectioned in order to deal with his alcohol problem.
A court heard that Evans approached a member of staff at the railway station and said: “I have a parcel.”
When asked what he meant, he said: “Semtex and nails.”
A staff member asked to search his backpack and found a plastic bag containing nails. health got worse over the last 10 line. She said: “At the end of April I years. knew he had done something silly
“He went to see a doctor and he but he didn’t say much about managed to get stable but he went what it was. back to university in Swansea and “He didn’t Evans then said “get me out of became ill again.” himself. here” and left through a barrier. Evans, who was described as an “When we saw it we were
Police and railway staff were “intelligent man” in court, had a shocked. unable to find Evans at the station masters degree and a promising “It shouldn’t have got to but he was caught on CCTV and job but his defence barrister Hithat and if they had listened to me arrested. lary Roberts said alcohol “took he could have been better by
When questioned by police over his life”. now.” he told officers he had mental Mrs Lewis added: “He was antiMrs Lewis said her son had health problems and said he had social, he didn’t know what was been diagnosed with psychosis by drunk alcohol after taking medigoing on and he didn’t know who a psychiatrist and she hopes he THREE dogs and a cat have cation. he was with. will go straight to hospital after his died in a house fire in Swan
He told officers he could not re-sea.“Hewastoldtostopdrinkingsentencetoreceivetreatmentfor member mentioning Semtex and but that’s no good. alcohol dependency. Mid and West Wales Fire nails and therefore it could not “He needed to be in hospital. Speaking about her son before and Rescue Service were have happened. “I did my best but he was gethis troubles began, Mrs Lewis called to a property in Blaen-y
Evans pleaded guilty to comting more and more in a state. said: “He was gorgeous, I never Maes at 4.20am yesterday. municating false information “The doctors were issuing tabhad any trouble with him but the The ground floor of the twoalleging the presence of a bomb. lets rather than putting him in alcohol took over. storey house in Tyr Felin was
At Cardiff Crown Court in April hospital. “He is warm-hearted and genuseverely damaged by fire. he was sentenced to eight months’ “I wanted to see him sectioned ine. Three dogs and a cat were imprisonment. for a few weeks until something “Everyone who knows Leigh found dead but a further two
Mrs Lewis, who now lives could be done but it never hapknows he was never like this. It’s dogs and a hamster were in Hereford, said her son had pened. through medication and alcohol.” rescued. been suffering from mental health “They have let him down badly.” Cardiff and Vale University Nobody else was injured in problems for about 10 years. Mrs Lewis said she was not fully Health Board were contacted to the fire.
She said: “He had been drinking aware of what her son had done comment but did not respond at Two fire crews were called to from a young age but his mental until she read a news article onthe time of going to press. the fire, the cause of which is
still being investigated. quite understand all A MUM who has three children with sleep apnea has thanked the hospital staff who supported them.
Lowri Roberts’ sons Gruff and Morgan, and her daughter Cadi, have all been diagnosed with the condition.
It causes sufferers to stop breathing.
“It was all a real shock to the system, particularly as our eldest son Cai, who is eight, hasn’t experienced any health problems,” said Lowri.
The family’s troubles began in 2012 when their second child Morgan, now four, was born three weeks early. He had an irregular heart beat and was put on a ventilator to help his breathing.
“He would gasp for air and was losing weight, so he underwent a sleep study,” Lowri said.
When her third child, Gruff, now two, was born, he turned blue and struggled to breathe after eight days.
“We couldn’t believe it was all happening again and the doctors said they had never seen central sleep apnea in a child without any other health problems,” Lowri said.
When Cadi was born a year ago she suffered a seizure at six days old.
“Our lives have been turned upside down by this but the staff at Wrexham Maelor have been fantastic and we can’t thank them enough,” Lowri, from Gwersyllt, Wrexham, said.
“Sometimes it has felt like we’ve spent more time there than home but we’ve always been made to feel at home and this has helped so much.”
The family still visit the hospital for regular treatment.