Don’t blame murder/suicide on mental illness if uncertain

We need to ask ourselves if we truly believe mental illness was the reason Alan Hawe brutally murdered his own family, writes Paul Gilligan.

We need to ask ourselves if we truly believe mental illness was the reason Alan Hawe brutally murdered his own family, writes Paul Gilligan.

Did Alan Hawe brutally murder his wife Clodagh and his sons Liam, Niall and Ryan because he had mental health difficulties or because he was angry and distressed? This is the key question raised by the inquest held earlier this week into the deaths. The answer not only matters to the extended family and to the community, but it matters to us all.