FOR the second day running a North-East mental health trust has admitted failings in the care of a patient who went on to kill.

In the latest case an independent investigation into the care of Alan Cooper - who was jailed for life in September 2011 six months after knifing his 14-year-old nephew Jordan Cooper after an argument over a mobile phone at the family home in Washington – found “some deficits and missed opportunities” where important information could have been sought from other agencies and Cooper’s family.

Because of Cooper’s extensive history of violence the panel felt it was “highly likely” that he would commit further acts of violence towards others.

But the panel concluded that even if more informed risk assessments had been undertaken by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear mental health trust it is unlikely that the death of Jordan Cooper could have been prevented.

The report followed the publication on Thursday of the findings of an independent investigation into the care of another mental health patient – double murderer James Allen, 36 who killed Colin Dunford, 81, in his Middlesbrough home and stabbed Julie Davison, 50, in her Whitby flat in April 2012.

Allen was subsequently jailed for at least 37 years after being convicted of two counts of murder while Cooper was jailed for at least 22 years after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

In Allen’s case it was the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys mental health trust which admitted missed opportunities and gaps in his mental health care.

In both cases the investigating panel made a series of recommendations designed to ensure that such mistakes are not repeated in future.

A spokesman for the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear trust said: “We welcome the publication of this report and our thoughts are very much with the family at what must be an extremely difficult time.

“Following the death we carried out a review and we made a number of changes to the way we provide care. We fully accept the findings of the report and we sincerely apologise for the shortcomings identified within it.

“Since 2011 the trust has made significant changes in the way we deliver our community and in-patient services. A street triage team is now in place where our nurses work alongside police officers.

"Individual teams now also have strong links with their local police team and the trust’s safeguarding staff are also available to help and support healthcare professionals to access information.

“We have also established a personality disorder hub team.”