IN LOVING MEMORY OF WPC NINA MACKAY (DIED ON 24 OCTOBER 1997)

15 years ago on this day, a British policewoman, WPC Nina Mackay was was fatally stabbed on 24 October 1997 by a paranoid schizophrenic man she was attempting to arrest. In loving memory of her, I will post an article from Wikipedia and The Daily Mail, before giving my thoughts.

WPC Nina Alexandra Mackay was a police officer serving with London's Metropolitan Police Service who was fatally stabbed on 24 October 1997 by a paranoid schizophrenic man she was attempting to arrest. She is the only female police officer in Great Britain to have been stabbed to death while on duty and her killing was the first of a female officer since the murder of Yvonne Fletcher in 1984.

Background:

Mackay was from Essex, the only daughter of Sidney MacKay, a former chief superintendent with the Metropolitan Police Service. She was educated at Bancroft's School, a co-educational independent school in the town of Woodford Green, in the suburb of Woodford in north-east London, where her classmates included journalist and presenter Anita Anand.

Mackay joined the Metropolitan Police and served in the service's Territorial Support Group for five years until her death.

Death:

On 24 October 1997, Mackay went with colleagues to a property in Arthingworth Street in Stratford, east London, to arrest a man who was in breach of bail conditions.

After forcing entry into the bedsit Mackay led her colleagues into the hallway where she was confronted by a man armed with a seven-and-a-half inch bladed kitchen knife. He stabbed the officer once in the chest. She was taken to hospital by ambulance but died two hours later from her injuries. The suspect was arrested and later charged with her murder.

Aftermath:

At the Old Bailey in October 1998, unemployed paranoid schizophrenic Magdi Elgizouli was convicted of Mackay's manslaughter. The British-born 30-year-old of Sudanese origin had been charged with murder but the jury accepted his defence of diminished responsibility. He was detained indefinitely, initially at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire and later at St. Bernard's Hospital in west London.

It was subsequently reported that prior to killing Mackay, Elgizouli had served time in prison for shoplifting, was on bail for assaulting a police officer and possessing a knife, and had stopped taking his medication for his schizophrenia. He had also smoked cannabis, which had apparently exacerbated his condition, and he had an expressed hatred of the police.

A 1999 inquiry into Mackay's death recommended that mentally-ill people should be given greater support and that guidance on helping patients take their medication needed to be improved. Despite calls from Mackay's family, the report did not recommend that patients be compelled to take their medication.

Ten years after his conviction, Elgizouli was released.

Memorial:

In 1998, the Police Memorial Trust erected a memorial to Mackay at the place on Arthingworth Street in Stratford where she was fatally stabbed. The memorial was unveiled by Tony Blair.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2112904/Pandering-WPC-killer-Knifeman-hatred-police-safe-freed--area-arent-officers-beat.html

Pandering to a WPC killer: Knifeman with a hatred of police is 'safe to be freed'... but only to an area where there aren't too many officers on the beat

By Stephen Wright

PUBLISHED: 22:32 GMT, 9 March 2012 | UPDATED: 12:50 GMT, 11 March 2012 

A notorious police killer is being released after 15 years – but he must be housed in an area with few police on the streets to protect his mental health.

Magdi Elgizouli, 44, was diagnosed as having a pathological hatred of the police after he knifed a young WPC to death in 1997.

The schizophrenic has now been deemed well enough to be transferred from a secure unit to a community hostel, but psychiatrists still fear his mental state could be adversely affected if he sees police on patrol.

Police killer: Magdi Elgizouli (right), who was diagnosed as having a pathological hatred of the police after he stabbed WPC Nina Mackay (right) to death in 1997 has been released and will now live in a London suburb with less police on the beat

As a result, following consultations with Scotland Yard, it has been decided that it would be inappropriate to allow him to live in inner London, because it has a high concentration of police. Instead Elgizouli is being lined up to live in a quieter London suburb. Details of his new home are a closely guarded secret.

Although there are concerns about how Elgizouli will react to seeing police officers, psychiatrists claim he is not a danger to the public. 

Jobless drifter Elgizouli stabbed WPC Nina Mackay, 25, to death with a seven-and-a-half-inch kitchen knife as she went to arrest him at a flat in Stratford, East London, in October 1997.

Moments before her death, WPC Mackay removed the body armour that could have saved her life because the protective vest was hampering her movement.

Funeral: The coffin of WPC Nina Mackay leaves St John the Baptist Church in Loughton, Essex, following her death in 1997

At the time, Elgizouli – a frequent user of cannabis – was in breach of bail conditions for assaulting a police officer and possessing an offensive weapon, a knife, 11 days earlier.

He was detained indefinitely after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

WPC Mackay’s father, retired Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Sidney Mackay, reacted angrily last night as he confirmed news of Elgizouli’s release.

Mr Mackay, 68, told the Daily Mail: ‘I can confirm that I have been informed by the relevant authorities of Elgizouli’s impending release. The content of these discussions has to remain confidential.

‘However I think it a matter of great public interest that people are aware that he is back on the streets with freedom of movement.

‘Despite being given assurances about his suitability for release, I have great unease that contact with the police or public could have tragic consequences. My personal view is that his detention should continue.

Angry: WPC Mackay's father, retired Metropolitan Police Chief Superintendent Sidney Mackay has reacted angrily to the news about the release of his daughter's killer

‘My daughter’s gone and he should have taken the consequences, and not be allowed to resume a normal life when we are living with her loss on a daily basis.

‘I hope that his freedom of movement does not allow him to return to his old practice of taking large quantities of cannabis.’ 

Mr Mackay, who lives in Essex, added: ‘I was not in a position to object to the decision to release him. All that had to be resolved when I was informed of his release was where his place of residence would be.’ 

It is understood a Mental Health Review Tribunal hearing paved the way for Elgizouli’s release, on the basis that he is no longer deemed to be a danger to the public and that his psychiatric state can be controlled by him taking regular medication. 

He is expected to live in a licensed hostel, where he will be free to come and go as he wishes each day.

A number of Metropolitan Police Federation officials have expressed serious concern about the decision to release the British-born killer, who is of Sudanese descent. Pete Smyth, chairman of the Federation, said: ‘This man should only be released when the authorities are absolutely convinced he is no longer a danger to police and the public. It’s as much about protection as punishment.’ 

He added: ‘We have always maintained a position that life means life. In this case, being locked up indefinitely should mean exactly that.’

Four years ago, the Mail revealed that police had been warned of the dangers of approaching Elgizouli, after he was given occasional day release from a secure unit.

Elgizouli was granted four hours of leave a week in preparation for his permanent release.

 

Murdered: Metropolitan Police WPC Nina Mackay, pictured with pigtails as an eight year old, was stabbed to death during a police raid in Stratford in East London in October 1997

He was also allowed out a further five hours each month to visit his brother. 

Mental health chiefs said at the time they believed that Elgizouli’s psychiatric condition had improved significantly, and that they had granted him supervised release to help him reintegrate.

However an urgent message was issued to police under Scotland Yard’s ‘officer alert system’ warning he was a grave threat to officers’ safety and should not be approached.

WPC Mackay’s father was furious about the decision. 

In a letter to the Mental Health Review Tribunal in 2008, he said:  ‘We owe it to the memory and love we bear our daughter not to see  her death disappear as another  statistic . . . while the person responsible resumes his life as if nothing happened.’ 

My thoughts:

          I find it absurd that the UK Justice System can allow a paranoid schizophrenic man to walk free from prison when he should be at least locked up for life and never be released. If this was Post-World War II and before 1965 in the UK, this cop-killer would be at the end of the rope. We need a Chief Justice Rayner Goddard! Here is another reason why the public is in favor of the death penalty for cop-killers.

          This is another perfect example of Abolitionists who do nothing to eliminate the inhumane parole and allow a violent criminal to go and (maybe) kill again. The abolitionists has strongly misjudged his character, so be careful of Magdi Elgizouli when you are on the streets in London.

            Rather than pay too much attention to this paranoid schizophrenic loser, let us remember WPC Nina Mackay who died today 15 years ago. Let us pray for the abolishing of the European Court of Human Rights who are the friends of criminals.