Jasmine Kelly

An inquest jury concluded that Richard Laversuch, 63, was unlawfully killed at Parklands Hospital in Basingstoke after fellow patient Owen Herbert strangled him in November 2021. Herbert had displayed severe psychotic symptoms and dangerous behavior but was admitted to the less secure Juniper Ward because no Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit bed was available. The jury identified inadequate staffing, a risk assessment based on brief observation, over-reliance on Herbert’s calm presentation and missed opportunities to escalate concerns. Laversuch’s family said both men and their families were failed by mental health-care systems, called for better support and supervised treatment for people experiencing severe psychosis, and urged Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust and Hampshire County Council to make urgent changes.

Brian McDonough founded Sporty Bees to make after-school activities more engaging by bringing qualified local coaches into primary schools. The programme offers a wide range of sports and dance activities, awards children activity badges, and has expanded from its initial Andover schools to about 25 schools across several parts of England. McDonough plans to add fencing and non-sport subjects such as criminology and journalism, while a summer camp is scheduled at Roman Way Primary School with a promotional discount available.

Cameron Blight, 27, pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court to entering John Hanson Community School in Andover as a trespasser on December 27, 2025, intending to cause unlawful damage. He received a community order requiring 80 hours of unpaid work and up to eight days of appointments, and was ordered to pay £2,743 in compensation plus £85 in prosecution costs.