5:39am Monday 30th June 2008
By Paddy McGuffin
The family of a Bradford psychiatric patient left paralysed after being restrained at a secure facility are still waiting for answers two months after the incident.
The family of Freddie Wilkinson, 60, a former patient at Newton Lodge in Wakefield, have told the Telegraph & Argus that they have received no word of the investigation into his injuries, which included a broken neck, caused by the incident on May 1.
Police said responsibility for visiting the family rested with mental health bosses.
A spokesman for South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust declined to comment on the issue.
Mr Wilkinson, a long term psychiatric patient who suffers from a form of schizophrenia, now faces the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair.
Almost two months after the incident was reported, no representative of the police or the South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust has visited the family, said Mr Wilkinson’s sister Annie Bellwood.
Tony Williams, Miss Bellwood’s son-in-law, said: “We have had no contact from anyone. Freddie is out of intensive care now but will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
“He can’t move his arms or legs and his behaviour is erratic.
“It’s as if his brain has been shattered as well as his neck.
“We have contacted a solicitor because no one seems to be doing anything about what has happened.
“It is almost two months since Freddie was injured. Surely someone should have come and seen us by now.
“We can’t and won’t forget about this. We know investigations do not happen overnight but we do not even know who is in charge of the investigation. We think it is Wakefield Police but it could be anyone.
“How can you conduct an investigation without speaking to the family?
“Freddie is paralysed and someone has to answer for that.
“He didn’t do this to himself, but there seems to be an attitude of ‘let sleeping dogs lie.’ That’s no good to Freddie.
“The whole thing seems to be a cover-up hoping we will just go away.”
Mr Wilkinson remains an in-patient at Dewsbury Hospital, but according to Mr Williams he is a changed man since the incident.
“He’s a completely different character now,” he said. “He was always friendly and chatty, a really kind bloke who always gave his sister part of his allowance each week. Now it’s as if he doesn’t recognise us any more.
“All we want to find out is what happened.
“If the police aren’t going to do anything about it we want the Health and Safety Executive to investigate this incident.
“This is a larger issue than just Freddie. How many other people have suffered and are continuing to suffer but have nobody to fight for them?”
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the investigation into Mr Wilkinson’s injuries was still ongoing.
When it was put to him that no police officer had visited Mrs Bellwood or Mr Wilkinson’s other relatives he said the responsibility for that rested with South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust.
A spokesman for the Trust said she was unable to comment on the incident or even confirm or deny whether Mr Wilkinson was a patient at one of its facilities.
When asked about the lack of contact with Mr Wilkinson’s family, she declined to comment.
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