Report due into care of double murderer Stone

LONDON, Sep 25 (Reuters) A report into the mental health treatment and probation care of Michael Stone before he killed Lin Russell and her daughter Megan in 1996 will be published today.

In July this year convicted murderer Stone, 45, lost a legal fight to stop publication of the details of the report when a High Court judge said releasing them would be in the public interest.

A key question during his trials for murder was why Stone, who had mental health problems and a string of convictions, had not been under supervision.

Stone was given three life sentences for murdering Russell, 45 and six-year-old Megan with a hammer and also attempting to kill her other daughter Josie, then aged 9, as they walked along a country lane near their home in Kent.

Josie survived despite being repeatedly smashed over the head with the hammer.

An independent inquiry, commissioned by Kent Social Services, West Kent Health Authority and Kent Probation Service, had examined Stone's treatment by mental health, probation and social services prior to the murders.

Stone's lawyer Richard Clayton said his client had co-operated fully with the inquiry, and hoped for ''lessons to be learnt'' from it by health professionals and regulatory bodies.

But, although his client was happy for a report to be published setting out the inquiry's conclusions, he wanted to prevent the publication of intimate medical information.

However, Kent and Medway Strategic Health Authority, Kent County Council and Kent Probation Board all argued in favour of publishing the full report.

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