Abstract
The background, offence characteristics and psychiatric diagnosis were reviewed of 115 referrals of offenders charged with homicide made by procurators fiscal to the State Hospital, Carstairs, Scotland's only special secure hospital. A retrospective case-note review was performed using a structured questionnaire. A higher percentage of mental illness and substance misuse (11% and 40%) was recorded than that reported by Gillies in 1976. The results are discussed in the context of comparable studies and, in particular, the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness and the Discussion Paper on Insanity and Diminished Responsibility published by the Scottish Law Commission.
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