Crime & Law

PSNI apologises for failings in dealing with man with paranoid schizophrenia who later killed elderly couple

Michael and Marjorie Cawdery were stabbed to death in their home in Portadown, Co Armagh, in 2017

Marjorie Cawdery (left) and Michael Cawdery, both 83, were killed in their home in Portadown, Co Armagh, in 2017. Photograph: PA

Wed Jan 3 2024 - 20:38

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has apologised unreservedly for failings in its handling of incidents preceding the killing of Michael and Marjorie Cawdery.

It comes after a coroner found that the deaths of the retired couple, who were killed by a man with a severe mental health illness, were “entirely preventable”.

Mr and Mrs Cawdery, both 83, were stabbed to death at their home in Portadown, Co Armagh, on May 26th, 2017.

Paranoid schizophrenic Thomas Scott McEntee, who is now aged in his mid-40s, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was given a life sentence in June the following year. He suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.

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Delivering inquest findings at Banbridge courthouse in December, coroner Maria Dougan said that on the balance of probabilities the deaths could have been avoided if police and health care workers had dealt differently with McEntee in several interactions in the days leading up to the fatal incident.

She identified a series of “omission and missed opportunities” that, if acted on, would have meant McEntee would not have been in the location of the Cawderys’ home on the day he killed them. The coroner raised particular concern about a police failure to use powers available to them under mental health legislation to take McEntee to a place of safety when they encountered him in the days prior to the killings.

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “We have, following the stark findings of the inquest, carried out our own internal review, and a serious adverse incident review conducted by the health trust, established a gold co-ordinating group under temporary assistant chief constable Ryan Henderson, head of our justice department, to develop an action plan to address identified shortcomings and develop our engagement with the Department of Health and other partners. I am keen to reassure the family about our commitment to this work.

“I want to reiterate my sincere apologies to the Cawdery family on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for all failings which have been highlighted in our handling of this tragic case.

“It is imperative that we learn the lessons and do everything we can to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.”

McEntee, who was from Kilkeel, Co Down, absconded from Craigavon Area Hospital and broke into the Cawderys’ home on nearby Upper Ramone Park when they were out shopping. When they returned to their house he was still in the property and he killed them.

Mr Cawdery was a retired veterinary surgeon and research pharmacologist. During his career he had worked for the colonial government of Kenya and Uganda.

Mrs Cawdery was a civil servant in the colonial government of Uganda and latterly a company director and housewife. - PA

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