A MAN who stabbed his mother to death in her home was at first considered more of a danger to himself than anyone else, an inquest has heard.
On August 2019, Andrew Nisbet, who was 40 at the time, killed his 68-year-old mother, Pamela. He was convicted the following year in the Royal Court of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Yesterday an inquest into her death was told that Nisbet – who had severe autism spectrum disorder and Asperger syndrome – had jumped out of a two-storey window, injuring both his legs, following a disagreement with his father.
And he had said that if he was evicted from the annexe to his parents’ home where he was living he would kill himself.
But a psychiatric nurse told the inquest that Nisbet never gave any indication that he was going to harm anyone else.
Nisbet had moved to Jersey from the UK with his partner and infant son in November 2017 and was allowed to live temporarily in the annexe to his parents’ house.
Community psychiatric nurse Ronan Mulhern told the inquest that Nisbet’s autism and Asperger syndrome were known about but there had been no signs of clinical depression or psychiatric illness.
He added: “At no stage did Andrew say anything. There was no history of violence.”
However, his mental health had deteriorated after moving to Jersey and his parents eventually felt he should move out of the annexe – even buying a three-bedroom house where he and his family could live for a low rent.
He refused to move and asked his parents to make alterations to the annexe, which they declined to do.
When his father, Patric, refused to install a heat pump in the annexe, Nisbet jumped out of the second-floor window, injuring himself.
Mr Mulhern said Nisbet had become “fixated with the idea that it was his permanent home”. He said: “He had a spiritual connection to the property.”
Of the request to move out, he said: “It increased Andrew’s feelings of rejection and precipitated a meltdown. He said he would rather die than go anywhere else.
Mr Mulhern said there was no sign of a plan to harm anyone else.
However, in the weeks before the eviction police were repeatedly called to the parents’ house and they became concerned for the safety of Nisbet’s father. But five days after the eviction he killed his mother.
The inquest is due to conclude next week.
