Priory death sparks probe into inspector

A POLICE inspector is being investigated for misconduct over alleged failures in the search for a mental health patient who died after absconding from a Priory hospital.

An inquest jury last year found that personal trainer Matthew Caseby’s death was contributed to by neglect after hearing how he was left unattended in a courtyard for five minutes, allowing the 23-year-old to scale a 7ft 6in fence.

He died in front of a train the next morning – three days after being admitted following his detention under the Mental Health Act. Mr Caseby’s father Richard said the police ‘dismissed all the obvious medical evidence of my son’s acute vulnerability’.

The hospital had assessed Mr Caseby as being at medium risk of serious harm when he absconded in September 2020, and police only upgraded that to high risk 14 hours later.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating a West Midlands Police inspector.