A multi-disciplinary meeting was held with Dr. Camilo Zapata, Karen Webster, Pete Sharples (ASB Officer from Flagship Housing), and PC Lee Sampher to discuss Michael Burdette-Deakin. The meeting notes detail Michael's history of childhood trauma, alleged autistic spectrum features, and his prescribed cannabis use from a Harley Street psychiatrist. He was reported to be making "serious threats against a housing officer" and sending malicious emails about professionals involved. Dr. Zapata believed that Michael's behavior was driven by a delusional belief that Housing and Police were conspiring to run a prostitution ring in the neighborhood. The team discussed Michael's potential to be a "risk to Pete in particular and anyone who tries to delve too much into his belief system". An agreed plan was made for a further assessment if Michael was in crisis and detained under the Mental Health Act. It was noted that Michael had posted derogatory comments about Dr. Zapata and Pete Sharples on a social media platform.
Michael was referred to the Liaison and Diversion (L&D) service by custody staff at Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre following an arrest for alleged criminal damage to a dwelling. Concerns were raised about his mental health, as he had made threats to set his property on fire with himself inside. During the screening, Michael stated that his threats were taken out of context and were a reaction to ongoing issues with his housing officer, Pete Sharples. He became "irate" when asked about being a veteran and declined to engage further, leading to the termination of the screening. Dr. Zapata, who was in contact with custody, expressed concern that Michael was "psychotic" and recommended a Section 136, but police and custody medics did not agree with this assessment. It was noted that a letter from Karen Webster had previously advised police to consider a Section 136 if concerns were highlighted.
An Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) assessment was conducted. Michael was taken to Wedgwood House S136 Suite after a Section 135(1) warrant was executed by police. The warrant was requested due to Michael's alleged threats to "dose himself and his bungalow in kerosene...that would kill him". Michael refused to cooperate with the assessment, stating, "Under common law I am not lawfully detained. I need to speak to my solicitor, I want to go home, I wont speak to you". The assessment was postponed until the next day to allow Dr. Zapata, who had prior acquaintance with Michael, to be involved. It was noted that Michael had a cat and a parrot at home and arrangements were made for their care. It was also documented that the S136 Suite lacked a facility for Michael to phone his solicitor, which was identified as a breach of the Code of Practice.
Michael was assessed in the S136 suite by Dr. Zapata and placed on **Section 2**. The referral noted that a warrant was needed because Michael was making threats against a housing officer and sending malicious emails to professionals. Dr. Zapata's clinical note described Michael as a 60-year-old male with "what appears to be a complex delusional psychosis on a background of ASD, daily cannabis use and severely traumatic childhood". Michael was detained because of the risk he posed to himself and others due to threats of arson and his delusional beliefs about named individuals. Michael's cannabis prescription from a Harley Street clinic was a central point of concern, with Dr. Zapata stating he had spoken to the prescribing doctor who was "more than happy to stop the prescription".
Michael was described as pleasant and cooperative. He told staff he was appealing his Section 2 because he believed the assessment was flawed, as it was conducted after he had hit his head and had a concussion. He also mentioned he had been denied his pain medication. He stated he understood he could not have his cannabis medication on the ward but insisted it was "lawfully and legally prescribed". He also said he felt safe on the ward but wanted to remain in the hospital to get help finding accommodation in Sussex where his family is.
A ward review found Michael to be "well-kempt" and polite, with good memory. He denied thoughts of harming himself or others. He told the team he had a "moment of relapse in reasoning" that led to his admission but that he could now "rationalise that". He stated he would no longer pursue the case against Mr. Sharples himself but would hire a solicitor. It was agreed to rescind the Section 2 and discharge him that day with no medication. Michael's belongings, including his prescribed cannabis, were returned to him upon discharge.
The Home Treatment Team (HTT) contacted Michael for a 72-hour follow-up. He stated he was "feeling okay" and was home, and was keen to get his home in order for his parrot's return. He came back to the ward to collect his car keys, cigarette lighter, and prescribed cannabis from the controlled drug cupboard. He was polite and cooperative.
Dr. Camilo Zapata sent a high-importance email expressing his "surprise and concern" that Michael had been discharged after less than a week. He noted that Michael had a 60g monthly cannabis prescription and that he had "documented into Lorenzo my contact with his Harley street drs and they had agreed that they would no longer prescribe/dispense cannabis as they were also concerned (once I advised them) regarding his paranoid presentation". He added that the cannabis was "no longer medically prescribed" and was "at best, complicating the picture and at worse it is actually causing his psychosis". The discharge was seen as a "missed opportunity" to assess and treat Michael.
In a letter to the GP, Dr. Zapata reaffirmed his view that Michael has a "complex delusional disorder" and that his discharge was "most premature". He repeated his belief that the cannabis was a "strong aetiological factor for his psychosis" and that he had successfully contacted the private consultant to stop the prescription. He described Michael as having a history of severe childhood trauma, including physical abuse from his father who stabbed his mother with a bayonet when Michael was five years old.
A GP referral was made to the mental health team regarding threats to kill himself, and an "urgent referral to CMHT" was recommended. The patient had expressed he had researched ways to end his life. The note from Karen Webster mentioned that Michael "clearly is a risk that this gentleman may hurt himself and or end his life however it is felt that this is likely to be accidental due to his behaviours and controlling behaviours". The referral was eventually closed.
An administrative note records a conversation Karen Webster had with Dr. Zapata. It notes that the information from Michael's previous care "totally contradicts the information given us previously" and that the inpatient admission diagnosed "no mental illness which required treatment". The note expresses a concern that Michael may hurt himself or end his life, but that this is likely to be "accidental due to his behaviours and controlling behaviours". It also suggests that Michael is "unlikely to be open to interventions which we feel may benefit him" and that engaging him in full assessment was lost when he was discharged from the ward without the team's input.
Another professional meeting was held with Karen Webster and Dr. Camilo Zapata, with Pete Sharples and Iona Williams also in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how to support Michael given he was making threats to kill himself after telling his GP he had researched ways to end his life. It was noted that Michael would not engage with mental health services and only wanted help on his own terms regarding the court case with Flagship Housing. The team expressed that Michael was a "clever man who knows how to press buttons and when to step away," and that he had "no respect for authority". The agreed plan was for Dr. Zapata to make one more attempt to see Michael with a "boundaried approach". If Michael failed to attend, he would be discharged from services.
A note records that Michael called "very angry" that he had been offered an appointment with Iona Williams and Dr. Camilo Zapata and stated he would not attend any appointment where Dr. Zapata was present. He "demanded to be seen by someone else" and said he would send a letter detailing his objections. Dr. Zapata responded by saying Michael was "quite complicated and threatening and is a frightening man to see" and suggested a junior doctor who was 20 weeks pregnant see him instead. The action agreed upon was for Dr. Zapata to write a "boundaried and firm letter to the referrer (GP) and discharge him from services".
The MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) Adults Team received a referral regarding Michael Burdette-Deakin. Dominic from MASH called NSFT to alert them that Michael had disclosed that if a "police man where to turn up at his doorstep, he would kill them". The MASH team was planning a professionals meeting and a social worker for safeguarding had been allocated to the case. It was noted that Michael's consent had been given for information to be shared between police and health to inform discussions. It was also noted that his verbal threat about killing a police officer was made and recorded, with a follow-up action to alert NSFT.
A detailed MASH police report from November 2021 summarizes Michael's ongoing issues. It lists numerous investigations including harassment, criminal damage, and sexual assault. The report states that Michael is reporting that his neighbors believe he is a "paedophile" who "fled Red Lodge". It also notes that Michael has been an "involved party" in two adult protection investigations, one related to his mental health and the other to his behavior at his address, as well as two domestic abuse investigations involving his ex-wife. The report concludes that Michael has also been a victim of multiple harassments and assaults.