A report has blamed a "lackadaisical approach" in the criminal justice system for freeing a man from prison who went on to kill hours later.

Schizophrenic Anthony Joseph, 23, is serving an indefinite term at a mental health unit for the manslaughter of Richard Whelan, 28, on 29 July 2005.

Mr Whelan was stabbed on a bus in north London, when he tried to stop Joseph throwing chips at his girlfriend.

The solicitor general's report blamed a lack of diligence over bail conditions.

Joseph had been arrested by Surrey police and remanded in custody on 10 June, on charges later dropped that related to an alleged abduction and unlawful sex with a 15-year-old.

After the charges were dropped, he should have been detained because there was an arrest warrant out for him in connection with an alleged burglary. But instead he was released and killed Mr Whelan hours later.

The warrant had been issued when he failed to appear for a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on 27 June.

The report, by Solicitor General Vera Baird, concludes that there was nothing in Joseph's offending history that could have led the agencies involved to foresee the killing of Richard Whelan.

But the report adds: "However, what we have found is what may best be described as a lackadaisical or nonchalant approach within the criminal justice system to many routine aspects of the handling of cases, the cumulative effect of which was to lead to the sequence of events which culminated on 29 July 2005.

"The lack of diligence in verifying suggested bail conditions, scant evidence of enforcement of those conditions and a failure to deal effectively with breaches when they occurred, all contributed to events taking the course they did.

"This was compounded by a lack of communication."

(BBC)

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