Crampton trial: Accused swotted up – QC

Nov 22 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

A MAN who killed his entire family swotted up on mental illness to learn how to fake being mad, a court heard.

Neil Crampton is accused of murdering his two children, Abigail, 12, Steven, five, their mother and his ex-partner Olufunke Sobo, 36, also known as Funke and Liz, and her brother Yemi.

Former taxi driver Crampton, 36, of Winlaton, Gateshead, has admitted the killings, but denies murder, claiming diminished responsibility. Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Kim Fraser gave his findings at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday from a series of interviews conducted with Crampton while in Rampton secure hospital.

Paul Sloan QC, prosecuting, cross-examined Dr Fraser, who had earlier told the jury that in his opinion Crampton had been suffering from depression and delusional jealousy to the point where it amounted to an abnormality of mind. Mr Sloan said: “And in reaching your conclusion, you have had regard to the Rampton records and it is abundantly clear from those records that the defendant borrowed numerous books on mental disorders, psychotic conditions, psychological assessments and that he spent time reading those?”

Mr Sloan said that the same records showed Crampton told medical staff in the secure hospital that he “must have been mentally ill at the time of the killings and that he must have been mentally ill in order to have acted as he did”.

The court also heard Crampton regularly used “buzz-words” when describing how he felt, having also read-up about the defence he was going to use in court.

Mr Sloan said: “He told staff his responsibility had been diminished and that he should receive a manslaughter conviction.”

The court was then told Crampton had been assessed and given a rating about how convincing the signs of mental illness he was exhibiting were.

Still cross-examining Dr Fraser, Mr Sloan said: “It is right that the defendant’s scores indicated that there was a strong likelihood he was feigning a psychotic mental disorder.” Dr Fraser said that after analysing Crampton’s upbringing, drug use, mental health history and his state of mind at the time, he reached the conclusion he was suffering from an abnormality of mind, meaning, in his opinion, the diminished responsibility defence was valid.

But Prof Don Gruben was called by the prosecution and disputed Dr Fraser’s conclusion. He said: “More relevant was the excessiveness of his long-standing jealousy and his preoccupation regarding his relationship with Ms Sobo.

“Mr Crampton was under the impression that matters between him and Ms Sobo were on the mend but this was undermined by her sexual rejection of him and her apparent more determined decision to bring their relationship to a final end. In my opinion, Neil Crampton was not suffering from any abnormality of mind at the time of the killings that would have substantially impaired his responsibility for his actions.”

The trial continues.

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