Psychiatric patient was lawfully killed by walker – inquest

AN escaped psychiatric patient who collapsed after attacking a walker with a belt was lawfully killed by the man he attacked, an inquest jury has concluded.

Mr Khoung Lam was being treated at Whitchurch Hospital in Cardiff when he ran away from a carer while on escorted leave on June 25, 2015, and attacked a stranger on a secluded footpath.

An inquest into his death heard how the 42-year-old, from Cardiff, was nearly apprehended by police in the cafe of Asda at Coryton but escaped again into a wooded area where he met David Owen.

He attacked Mr Owen, asking “What day do you want to die?” before putting his belt around the older man’s neck, the jury at Cardiff Coroner’s Court was told. Mr Owen, a window fitter, who was 58 at the time, managed to prise the belt off and place it around Mr Lam’s neck, who collapsed and was later found to have died.

In response to a questionnaire about the incident, the jury found Mr Owen applied force in the honest and genuine belief that he was defending himself against a genuine, imminent threat.

They said: “David Owen made his best attempt to get away from Khoung. He ran through shrubbery off of the path and loses footing... once David Owen realises that he cannot get away from Khoung he takes steps to disable Khoung... following David Owen’s defensive actions, Khoung became unresponsive and collapsed allowing David Owen to safely leave the area.”

In his evidence, Mr Owen said he