A man who was charged with setting a North Yorkshire GP surgery on fire died in prison, a report has revealed.
Ampleforth Surgery, near Helmsley, was severely damaged in the arson attack and its staff assaulted by a man with a knife in August 2023.
John Leadbitter, 62, of no fixed address, had been charged with causing arson with intent to endanger life, carrying a knife in public, unlawful violence and causing actual bodily harm.
Leadbitter died of acute obstructive pneumonitis (an inflammation of lung tissue), caused by lung cancer on 31 January last year, said a report by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
At the time he was a prisoner at HMP Hull.
Leadbitter’s trial was delayed after his legal team raised concerns about his mental state. He had been in custody since his arrest.
He was detained by North Yorkshire Police at the surgery after officers had negotiated a peaceful end to the violence.
After the incident, Ampleforth Surgery released these pictures of the damage caused by the attack.
A spokesperson said at the time: “Not only did it cause severe damage to the building, the distressing event has deeply affected every member of our team and will continue to do so for a long time.”
Fire station manager Tony Walker said firefighters from Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Malton “did a tremendous job saving the property”.
Leadbitter had previously been sentenced to 15 years in jail for raping a woman and almost severing her head with an axe before pouring petrol over her. He was then living in Stockton.
Concerns over care
In its report, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman expressed some concerns about Leadbitter’s treatment for his illness.
It found his health care “was partially equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community”.
The report focused on the decision to restrain the prisoner, who had terminal cancer and was in a wheelchair, on hospital visits.
The report says: “Mr Leadbitter had poor health, limited mobility and there was no indication he posed a risk.
“Despite medical objections to using restraints, prison staff did not take into account Mr Leadbitter’s current condition and restrained him when he was taken to hospital.
“We saw no evidence that Hull’s decisions to restrain him were justified and in line with the Graham judgment and national policy. Hull told us that they could not explain why some of Mr Leadbitter’s escort paperwork was left incomplete.
“This meant that we could not establish the extent to which he was restrained during hospital escorts or why.”
It has made a number of recommendations. You can read the full report on the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman website.