‘Likeable lad who slowly drifted away from us’
KARL Gatiss’s letter to the court on behalf of his son:
I wish to write in support of my son Richard Gatiss. I feel there are matters relating to his background that may go some way to explaining his actions.
My wife (Andrea) and I always taught him to show proper moral values.
‘I have never known him to be unkind towards anyone, let alone elderly people or the disabled.
He has a disability himself and was brought up to help, not hurt people. While at Talbot House Special School (in Newcastle) his classmates had disabilities ... He was a kindhearted unselfish boy, he wanted to help others before himself. In his formative years he loved schoolwork, fishing and skiing.
‘We were a close family and encouraged a love of the outdoors and nature. He loved the Sunday drive out.
He was required to attend a special needs school, he was diagnosed with ADHD and severe dyslexia. He started the slippery slope into drug taking and began using legal highs and the likeable lad we had known slowly drifted away from us.
Just over eight months ago he became epileptic, suffered paranoia, suicidal tendencies, weight loss and began to self-harm.
We saw a deterioration of a formerly lovely boy into a shadow of his former self, whom we were unable to communicate with.
He would not intentionally try to hurt anyone, he is disgusted with himself ... he wishes he could turn the clock back. I was so dismayed with what he had done we severed all communication with him. But two and a half months later I couldn’t do that any more.
We are a very gentle and loving family, we are appalled by this event ... We pray Mr Barnes makes a speedy recovery from this ordeal.