The British Journal of Psychiatry (1965) 111: 1087-1094. doi: 10.1192/bjp.111.480.1087
© 1965 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Murder in the West of Scotland

HUNTER GILLIES M.D., F.R.C.P., D.P.M.1

1 Consultant-in-Charge, Psychiatric Unit, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow, N.1, and Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow

Between 1953 and 1964 psychiatric examinations were carried out on 59 male and 7 female persons who had been charged in the West of Scotland with the murder of 70 people.

There was no psychiatric abnormality in 30 offenders; 18 were psychopathic personalities; 14 had psychotic illnesses; and 4 were mentally subnormal.

The Court found that 17 were insane and unfit to plead.

Of the victims 21 were related to the offenders.

The offender's motive was most commonly (38 cases) anger.

The commonest causes for the 70 murders were alcoholic indulgence (33 murders), psychopathy (22 murders) and schizophrenia (11 murders).

Three schizophrenic offenders had discharged themselves from psychiatric hospitals only a few days or weeks before the crimes.

The four cases of matricide were all committed by schizophrenic males.

In three schizophrenic males the first sign of psychiatric disorder was the commission of murder.

Submitted on March 17, 1965




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