A PSYCHIATRIST in charge of Oxford teenager Connor Sparrowhawk’s care was found to be ‘evasive and defensive’, according to a tribunal investigating his death.

Dr Valerie Murphy had already admitted being responsible for a catalogue of 30 failings relating to Mr Sparrowhawk’s death in July 2013 but has denied misconduct.

And the Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service (MPTS) has now issued its decision, finding that Dr Murphy failed to carry out a risk assessment before his death.

Although she was found to have ‘accepted more responsibility’ for the failures than she had initially after Mr Sparrowhawk’s death, Dr Murphy had given ‘some evasive answers and defensive responses to some other questions’, a panel found.

The MPTS report continued: “This appeared particularly apparent when answering tribunal questions about your management of events concerning [Mr Sparrowhawk], and how those events may have affected levels of risk arising in his case.”

She had already admitted 30 failings of her care including failing to acknowledge the risks of Mr Sparrowhawk having seizures, failing to carry out a risk assessment and to obtain his history of symptoms.

She was also found by the panel of further failings. They included failing to find out whether seizures made Mr Sparrowhawk experience tiredness.

A decision on whether she is fit to practice was initially expected at the end of last week but that has now been delayed until November.

A jury-led inquiry in October 2015 found ‘failings’ by Southern Health trust staff contributed to Mr Sparrowhawk’s death.