Hinckley no longer a threat, says hospital

THE man who shot President Reagan no longer poses a danger to himself or others, a hospital psychiatrist testified yesterday.

Paul Montalbano, pretrial chief of forensic services at St Elizabeth’s Hospital, said John Hinckley Jr is ready to begin limited, unsupervised trips to see his parents under a gradual programme with strict conditions to minimise risk.

“I think it is important that the outings be part of a risk reduction strategy,” Montalbano said. “I believe that successful visits can actually make him less dangerous.”