Death of Nina Mackay
Encyclopedia
WPC Nina Alexandra Mackay was a police officer
in London's Metropolitan Police Service
who was fatally stabbed on 24 October 1997 by a paranoid schizophrenic man she was attempting to arrest. She is the only female police officer in Great Britain to have been stabbed to death while on duty and her killing was the first of a female officer since the murder of Yvonne Fletcher in 1984.
, the only daughter of Sidney MacKay, a former Chief Superintendent
in London's Metropolitan Police Service
. She had served in that force's Territorial Support Group
for five years until her death.
, east London, to arrest a man who was in breach of bail
conditions.
After forcing entry into the bedsit Mackay led her colleagues into the hallway where she was confronted by a man armed with a seven-and-a-half inch bladed kitchen knife. He stabbed the officer once in the chest. She was taken to hospital by ambulance but died two hours later from her injuries. The suspect was arrested and later charged with her murder
.
in October 1998, unemployed paranoid schizophrenic Magdi Elgizouli was convicted of Mackay's manslaughter
. The British-born 30-year-old of Sudan
ese origin had been charged with murder
but the jury accepted his defence of diminished responsibility
. He was detained indefinitely
, initially at Rampton Secure Hospital
in Nottinghamshire and later at St. Bernard's Hospital in west London.
It was subsequently reported that prior to killing Mackay, Elgizouli had served time in prison for shoplifting
, was on bail for assaulting a police officer and possessing a knife, and had stopped taking his medication for his schizophrenia. He had also smoked cannabis
, which had apparently exacerbated his condition, and had an expressed hatred of the police.
A 1999 inquiry into Mackay's death recommended that mentally-ill people should be given greater support and that guidance on helping patients take their medication needed to be improved. Despite calls from Mackay's family, the report did not recommend that patients be compelled to take their medication.
Ten years after his conviction, Elgizouli was released.
erected a stone memorial to Mackay at the place where she was fatally stabbed in Arthingworth Street, Stratford. The memorial was unveiled by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
.
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in London's Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
who was fatally stabbed on 24 October 1997 by a paranoid schizophrenic man she was attempting to arrest. She is the only female police officer in Great Britain to have been stabbed to death while on duty and her killing was the first of a female officer since the murder of Yvonne Fletcher in 1984.
Background
Mackay was from EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, the only daughter of Sidney MacKay, a former Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
in London's Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
. She had served in that force's Territorial Support Group
Territorial Support Group
The Territorial Support Group is a Central Operations unit of London's Metropolitan Police Service consisting of 720 officers, that specialises in public order containment among other specialist policing. The TSG is a uniformed unit of the MPS that replaced the controversial Special Patrol Group...
for five years until her death.
Death
On 24 October 1997, Mackay went with colleagues to a property in Arthingworth Street in StratfordStratford, London
Stratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
, east London, to arrest a man who was in breach of bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
conditions.
After forcing entry into the bedsit Mackay led her colleagues into the hallway where she was confronted by a man armed with a seven-and-a-half inch bladed kitchen knife. He stabbed the officer once in the chest. She was taken to hospital by ambulance but died two hours later from her injuries. The suspect was arrested and later charged with her murder
Murder in English law
Murder is an offence under the common law of England and Wales. It is considered the most serious form of homicide, in which one person kills another either intending to cause death or intending to cause serious injury .-Actus reus:The definition of the actus reus Murder is an offence under the...
.
Aftermath
At the Old BaileyOld Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in October 1998, unemployed paranoid schizophrenic Magdi Elgizouli was convicted of Mackay's manslaughter
Manslaughter in English law
In the English law of homicide, manslaughter is a less serious offence than murder, the differential being between levels of fault based on the mens rea . In England and Wales, the usual practice is to prefer a charge of murder, with the judge or defence able to introduce manslaughter as an option...
. The British-born 30-year-old of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese origin had been charged with murder
Murder in English law
Murder is an offence under the common law of England and Wales. It is considered the most serious form of homicide, in which one person kills another either intending to cause death or intending to cause serious injury .-Actus reus:The definition of the actus reus Murder is an offence under the...
but the jury accepted his defence of diminished responsibility
Diminished responsibility in English law
In English law, diminished responsibility is one of the partial defences that reduce the offence from murder to manslaughter if successful . This allows the judge sentencing discretion, e.g. to impose a hospital order under section 37 Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure treatment rather than...
. He was detained indefinitely
Indefinite detention
Indefinite detention is the incarceration of an arrested person by a national government or law enforcement agency without a trial. It is a controversial practice on the part of any government or agency that is in violation of many national and international laws, including human rights laws...
, initially at Rampton Secure Hospital
Rampton Secure Hospital
Rampton Secure Hospital is a high security psychiatric hospital near the village of Woodbeck between Retford and Rampton in the Bassetlaw District of Nottinghamshire, England...
in Nottinghamshire and later at St. Bernard's Hospital in west London.
It was subsequently reported that prior to killing Mackay, Elgizouli had served time in prison for shoplifting
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
, was on bail for assaulting a police officer and possessing a knife, and had stopped taking his medication for his schizophrenia. He had also smoked cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
, which had apparently exacerbated his condition, and had an expressed hatred of the police.
A 1999 inquiry into Mackay's death recommended that mentally-ill people should be given greater support and that guidance on helping patients take their medication needed to be improved. Despite calls from Mackay's family, the report did not recommend that patients be compelled to take their medication.
Ten years after his conviction, Elgizouli was released.
Memorial
In 1998, the Police Memorial TrustPolice Memorial Trust
The Police Memorial Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1984 and based in London. The trust's objective is to erect memorials to British police officers killed in the line of duty, at or near the spot where they died, thereby acting as a permanent reminder to the public of the sacrifice...
erected a stone memorial to Mackay at the place where she was fatally stabbed in Arthingworth Street, Stratford. The memorial was unveiled by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
.