WHY WAS HE FREE TO KILL? 'I WILL KILL - IT'S ONLY TIME BEFORE THE BEAST IS RELEASED' Psychiatrists concluded that Matthew Steel was a danger to himself and others. But a loophole in the law meant he was not detained before committing murder, reports Brendan Montague ... Brendan Montague Friday January 31, 2003 The Lincolnshire Echo A PSYCHOPATH who slashed a man's throat had been allowed to live in the community even though doctors knew he was dangerous, a report has revealed. Matthew Steel (21), from Scorer Street, Lincoln, met a psychiatrist just nine days before stabbing to death 35-year-old Phillip Beardmore at his home in Walnut Place, Lincoln. Steel was living on his own despite increasing alarm about his deadly behaviour, according to the report - published by Lincolnshire County Council and what is now the West Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust. Despite being diagnosed as having a dangerous personality disorder, health experts and social workers could not legally detain him because he was not classified as mentally ill. Steel had met with 13 mental health professionals during 13 years in care and social workers repeatedly warned that he was a severe danger. The most serious warning came when they discovered that at just 16 years old Steel had written in his diary: "I will kill - it is only a time before the beast is released." Before he turned 19 he had a history of sexual violence, cruelty and self-harm. And on March 22, 2000, the "amoral" teenager stabbed 35-year-old homosexual Phillip Beardmore to death at his home in Walnut Place, Lincoln. Steel is now serving a life sentence after his conviction on December 22, 2000, at Lincoln Crown Court. And at the time of the killing social services believed Steel had a "predatory" role in a paedophile ring preying on children in care. Social workers had warned that he repeatedly slashed his wrists, that he was fascinated by knives, and that he fantasised about stabbing his mother. But at the time of the murder "he dictated the level of support he was prepared to tolerate and lived as he pleased," the report found. Nine days before the killing consultant psychiatrist Dr Peter Elwood ruled that he did not suffer from a major mental illness. The report made at this point noted that Steel "appeared smart, intelligent, insightful, responsible and had admirable plans for his own future." The inquiry team has now confirmed this diagnosis. Only a few minor criticisms are levelled at the system that allowed the alleged rapist, child abuser and arsonist to set up home alone in Lincoln. Steel attended 11 different schools, had been looked after by six foster carers and had been placed in three institutions. The report raises concerns about the bureaucratic nature of the education system and some of the decisions made by social workers. It's most stinging criticism relates to the return of Steel to the Ashleigh children's home in 1995 which it describes as "wholly wrong". The report adds: "This marked the beginning of the end in terms of social services appropriately meeting his needs." The real problem, the report suggests, was a lack of services for people with personality disorders and a loophole in the law which meant Steel could not be held against his will. This conclusion will make alarming reading for MPs later this year as they debate legislation that would give social workers the power to detain patients they believe to be dangerous. The report concludes that psychiatrists "were correct to diagnose Matthew as having a conduct disorder when he was younger, and an anti-social personality disorder when he was older." The report added: "The powers of the Mental Health Act were never used to detain Matthew. "This is, in part, because of his age, and in part because he would have required secure psychiatric care, which was not available. "But it is mainly because not one of the seven psychiatrists who saw him, over a 15-year period, considered him to be mentally ill or to have a treatable personality disorder. "We agree with their judgement." The inquiry team added: "The Government intends to develop services for those patients who are classified as suffering from dangerous severe personality disorder. "We believe that if such resources had been available in Lincolnshire in 2000, Matthew would have come under their purview." Following the release of the report, an NHS spokesman said: "The draft mental health bill was issued for consultation and we received 2000 responses. "The bill will be brought before the House of Commons this session. "It introduces a single definition of mental disorder. "This means personal disordered people will no longer be excluded from compulsory detainment on the grounds that they are untreatable - provided they meet the criteria for compulsion." But the legislation has been fiercely resisted by health professionals across the country. The director of Lincolnshire County Council's social services department, Matt Bukowski, said at the launch of the report that he did not want the power to detain. "Whether people should be detained or not is not the issue. This is about whether they can get access to the services they need," he said. "The law does not allow us to detain a person on a long term basis simply because they pose a risk - in principle that is right. "I think it is for politicians to determine the small number of cases where people should be deprived of their liberty." The chief executive of the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust, Chris Slavin, said his department had been set up to make sure patients like Steel were treated. "Matthew was an extremely complex individual," he said. "The Government has announced plans to review the Mental Health Act and only last year there was extensive consultation. "This will include legislation about people with personality disorders and we're still awaiting the government response. West Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust chief executive Vanessa Manning said mental health professionals could not have done any more under the present law. "I do not think this is a question of failure, we have a very complex set of circumstances," she said. "Matthew had been in contact with health services throughout his life and there was always support services around him. "Health services, social services and probation services coped at the best of their abilities." Aged 19 Steel was allowed to come and go as he pleased - but less than year a before social workers had banned him from visiting children's homes. The report found that at a meeting on March 23, 1999, Steel was identified as "presenting a risk to children in the care system." Social service leaders feared Steel had a "perceived predatory role in procuring youngsters for the paedophile ring." But at the same time "active planned work with Matthew ceased, and he had to exercise his own initiative if he needed further support." The 127-page report presents an extensive list of warnings that Steel was a danger to the public. The panel reported that "Matthew's teenage years were a maelstrom of violence, unhappiness and recrimination." The only time Steel was contained was during his stay at the four-bed children's home Ashleigh in Market Rasen. Manager Nicola Booth warned back in September 1996: " I feel that Matthew needs admitting to a health resource to have an assessment as a matter extreme urgency. "I fear for both Matthew's welfare and the people he comes into contact with." Bail workers were told by Steel himself around Christmas 1998 that he rented himself to men, and tried to stab one with screwdriver. "This revelation sent an understandable shock-wave through the workers," the report found. It added: "The option of secure accommodation for Matthew could have been considered at this time but was not." Earlier that year Steel had been arrested and charged with rape of one boy and indecent assault of another - both cases were later dropped. As early as March 1 1995, just before his 15th birthday, Steel was refused a place at Thornby Hall because staff felt we he was "too far gone." A chilling note written by one employee said: "He's as near to killing someone as he's likely to get before he actually carries out the act." In a letter the unnamed staff member added they were given a picture of a "disturbed young man whose potential for violence, towards himself, or others, cannot be underestimated. "I should be most concerned at this boy's potential to cause significant harm to more vulnerable life forms." Health professionals were aware by December 1994 that Steel had violent fantasies - including stabbing his mother. Their warnings were not just based on interviews, Steel was an expert in lies and manipulation, but also on a spiral of destructive and deadly behaviour. In November 1994, Steel admitted to Psychologist Dr Hutt that he had performed a "sacrificial killing of a pet gerbil" because the pet "made him mad by running away from him." Less than a year later he put a blade to the throat of a member of staff after shutting himself in a cupboard where sharp knives were kept. He then informed staff that whenever he saw a knife he wanted to kill someone. There were numerous reports of flashings, threats and self-mutilation. Enough to indicate that Steel was a danger. The report made 14 recommendations. It called for a forensic psychiatric service be established in Lincolnshire to treat adolescents and adults like Steel. The team also called for a full community psychiatric nurse service to be extended to support all social workers. Foster care for children with severe conduct disorder needs to be supported with training and better social services support, it found. Both the county council and the health trust said they were already working to implement the recommendations.