Court

Psychiatrists Disagree Over Whether Jordan Taylor was Suffering from a Mental Illness When He Stabbed Laura Davies to Death
Mon 11th Jan 2016, Yellow Advertiser

A DOCTOR testified today that he could find no evidence that Jordan Taylor, currently on trial over the killing of Pitsea woman Laura Davies, was mentally ill.

Dr David Baird, a consultant forensic psychiatrist employed by the South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, took the stand as a rebuttal witness for the prosecution, after an expert witness for the defence claimed Taylor, 22, of Churchill Avenue, might have suffered from two personality disorders.

Taylor admits killing 21-year-old Laura Davies in Pitsea last July, but denies murder.

Dr Gillian Mezey, a professor of forensic psychiatry, testified last week that after interviewing Taylor, she detected traits which can be symptoms of paranoid personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.

However, Dr Baird said that after interviewing Taylor for four hours across two days last November, he found no evidence of any mental conditions.

He told the court that Taylor had ‘abnormal’ personality traits and had been diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder in 2012.

However, he said he saw no evidence Taylor suffered from any personality disorder or mental illness at the time of Laura Davies’ fatal stabbing.

He said: “Having considered all the evidence I could find no evidence that he was mentally unwell, such as being depressed, in the weeks leading up to the index offence.”

Dr Baird said Taylor reported having had suicidal thoughts in the past, was ‘suspicious’ of his partners having affairs and engaged in ‘self-destructive behaviour’.

He told jurors: “He does clearly have some traits relating to an abnormal underlying personality. For example, Mr Taylor has been involved in rather intense and unstable inter-personal relationships.

“I did not feel they met the diagnostic criteria, but I accept there are abnormal traits. It’s important to remember that everyone can exhibit some of these personality traits from time to time.”

Dr Baird said Taylor told him he had been accepted into fire service training in Oxfordshire in 2014 and that he had completed a security training programme when he moved to Essex.

He said this demonstrated that Taylor had been able to function normally, despite his abnormal personality traits.

However, Dr Baird admitted under cross-examination by defence barrister Vincent Coughlin QC that he had seen no evidence Taylor had been accepted for fire service training.

Mr Coughlin said Taylor had given conflicting accounts as to why he did not accept the supposed offer. He also established that the security training course may have only lasted one week.

Mr Coughlin referenced several comments Taylor made in his interviews, such as that he hoped his charge would be dropped to manslaughter so he would be released before he was too old and could ‘have a positive impact on the world’.

Taylor told Dr Baird: “People find it easier to be horrible than nice. There’s too much hate in the world.”

Mr Coughlin suggested the ‘disconnect’ between Taylor’s desire to help people and his killing of Laura Davies might evidence a mental disorder.

Dr Baird stood by his conclusions.

The trial continues.

Back to Jordan Taylor Murder Trial

Back to Court

Back to Portfolio