‘Missed opportunities’ in murdered Coventry man’s care

A review into the death of a man murdered by two people who befriended him said a number of opportunities had been missed by authorities looking after both the victim and those who attacked him.

Michael Brady, 74, who had bipolar disorder and Alzheimer’s disease, was killed in summer 2023 by Antoinette Sheppard, 43, and Kieron Spicer, 16, after they lured him to Sheppard’s Coventry home.

Both were convicted of murder later that year and jailed for life.

While the exact circumstances of his death could not have been predicted, the risks to him and others were “clearly defined and articulated” by professionals, the report commissioned by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership said.

“The family have been left broken-hearted and with a sadness that doesn’t compare to any loss we have ever had to endure,” Mr Brady’s daughter said in a statement.

“We hope in time that positive memories will emerge and eclipse the bad ones, and we can remember him without anger.”

At the start of 2021, Mr Brady was living in a secure rehabilitation unit under the care of mental health services.

His discharge and transition to community care was “high risk” and a multi-agency meeting should have been convened before discharge to agree a risk management plan, the Offensive Weapons Homicide Review (OWHR) panel found.

Their report added his alcohol misuse was a known risk factor and relapse prevention should have been integral to planning his discharge.

The review panel, chaired by retired barrister Beryl Mcconnell, also criticised Mr Brady’s GP, saying they had “failed to demonstrate professional curiosity around how he was spending his days and how his care and other needs were being met”.

In relation to his killers, the report said Sheppard had bipolar disorder and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, while the teenage boy was diagnosed with attachment disorder and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Sheppard had a history of alcohol dependence as well as previous experiences of trauma and housing instability, it added.

She was supervised by probation services, received mental health care through the NHS, support from a charity and was known to police and housing services.

“Her complex needs required a higher level of intervention and co-ordinated case management, which were not effectively delivered,” the report said.

Meanwhile, Spicer’s substance misuse, criminality and regular episodes of going missing were among the reasons which formed “significant barriers to building positive relationships with professionals”, it found.

Those who worked with the teenager wanted the best outcomes for him, but information about him was not fully passed on to police or children’s services in a timely way.

His family instability and possible abuse had increased his susceptibility to emotional and behavioural difficulties, the review said.

Logging incidents with police had helped build a picture of Spicer’s activities, but there was a lack of focus on his violent behaviour towards his grandmother, community members, and in a residential unit.

The review called for better communication and oversight within probation services, and made a number of recommendations.

These included referrals to the adult safeguarding team as part of the discharge process for vulnerable people.

It also highlighted how ongoing training for police, and changes to how the West Midlands force handled serious and complex cases, had addressed some of the shortcomings uncovered.