Author Topic: Did Sheila Suffer An Attachment Disorder Resulting In Affectionless Psychopathy?  (Read 48808 times)

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Offline Patti

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You speak as if what may have transpired that night is an immediacy. I think, for numerous reasons, the twins welfare was probably a constant source of concern to Nevill and June and was spoken of often, with or without Sheila being present. At the end of the day, it was always more about Sheila than it was about the twins because their welfare and safety was dependent on her stability. I imagine that if Sheila had told her parents that Colin had found someone else and there was no hope of reconciliation with her, they would have viewed it with mixed feelings.

Deep down, whilst he had been able to share some of the responsibility for Sheila, I don't believe they saw a sometimes penniless, bohemian sculptor with dubious morals and questionable religious beliefs as being a suitable guardian, long term, for their grandchildren and may well have viewed his total separation from Sheila as a means of gaining more control of their care in the belief that Sheila wouldn't be able to cope with them indefinitely without support, or even, that at some point, she may yet again, need to be hospitalized. This eventuality may well have already been discussed  and delivered to Sheila that evening as a fait accompli and could have been worded in such a way that the children would not have been deemed to have been disturbed by it. I feel certain, that had Colin contested whatever decision the Bambers came to, regarding his sons, they would have presented a strong enough case for a court to have found in their favour.

You have, on numerous occasions said that Sheila loved her boys and would never do anything to hurt them. I believe this to be true, but THAT Sheila can't be confused with the Sheila she became during an episode. The two personalities may both have inhabitated her mind, but it's highly unlikely that they recognized or were responsible for each other.

I wonder how it may have felt to be Sheila at the start of that visit. The estranged husband, who may have shielded her from the worst aspects of her parents control, has told her of his new love. There will be no reconciliation. Does she find herself faced with being in a situation in which she and her boys are trapped. She couldn't have been unaware that the freedoms they enjoyed in London would be severely restricted if they were forced to move back to the farm but she may have been aware that she couldn't manage without support.I feel it would be reasonable to assume that she felt hopeless.

Well said egap and beautifully written.  Your last two paragraphs speak volumes.

I will add to this in short while.... :) :) :) :)

Offline Patti

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Now it's my turn to attempt to restore the balance. I cannot help but think that the purpose of this whole thread is to put it into the minds of an impartial individual(and here I'm thinking about a jury member who might well be swayed by the experts quoted here including Dr David Kirschner who just happens to have written a book on the subject of adoptees who kill,therefore the message here openly if not subliminally is to put into the minds of members of this forum or just guests who have come to browse the site that Sheila may well have killed four members of her family composed of her 6 year old twin sons and her adoptive parents).

I have been told by several members that my posts have become,or always were too subjective,too fanciful,too much like a Barbara Cartland novel or other romantic pulp fiction,so I would like to paraphrase Dr Hugh Cameron Ferguson,the doctor in a unique position to know both Sheila and as chance would have it her mother June several years earlier,and to put these in the context of the White House Farm Murders as I believe the author of this thread has attempted to put it within that context also.

Let me make the following points:


1) Dr.Ferguson received a letter from Sheila's GP Dr Angeloglou dated 15 July 1985 in which he requested that the dosage of Sheila's Haloperidol be halved from 200mg to 100mg per month. It is unclear whether Sheila had visited Dr Angeloglou on that particular day but even had it been several days previously,Dr Ferguson states that the drug which was injected would have lasted for a period of six weeks. It is therefore safe to assume that the drug was in Sheila's system on the morning of Wednesday 7th August 1985 and indeed going from Pamela Boutflour's account of her telephone conversation it would be possible to assume that Sheila was "ovedosed" on the drug.(N.B the halving of the dosage of the drug never took place). This would explain Sheila's slowness in completing everyday tasks,lack of co-ordination and slowness in speech. If we take the "slowness in speech" this would explain the telephone conversation with Pamela on the evening preceding the murders describing Sheila as being like a "zombie". More importantly the lack of co-ordination might have implications for Sheila loading a gun. The sum of this evidence is that Sheila was oversedated,which would not have gone unnoticed on Jeremy Bamber who would have used this opportunity for all it was worth,and it is my opinion that Jeremy took Sheila into their parents' bedroom,made her lie down,quickly firing the first shot in the process followed shortly afterwards by the second shot.

2) Dr Ferguson in his report states:"I did not feel that she(Sheila)was a danger to herself or anyone else".

3) According to Dr Ferguson Sheila was not violent,she was not a person who would commit suicide,she enjoyed life too much.

4) According to Dr Ferguson Sheila was a loving mother. She had a fantasy that her sons were trying to seduce her.

5) According to Dr Ferguson cannabis and cocaine use would have no effect on the Haloperidol in her system.

Since by chance Dr Ferguson had treated June Bamber several years previously we get more of an insight than usual:

6) In the opinion of Dr Ferguson he found it hard to believe that either woman would use violence.

7) According to Dr Ferguson neither woman was disturbed in their behaviour and there was no aggression in their illness.

8) According to Dr Ferguson had Sheila been overdosed on Haloperidol she would have been vacant,difficult to converse with and would have slept quite soundly and deeply,but this is not absolutely certain. However the doctor maintained that her whole physical performance would be reduced.



In the light of this report which the Jeremy supporters might care to answer(incidentally it's from Jeremy's own mouth that we get "Sheila has gone berserk with the gun" or many years later when that was rejected by the appeals process another tale emerged that it might after all have been "She's gone berserk with the gun" and thereby indicating the desperation of Jeremy's team in trying to implicate June) I would suggest that Jeremy is the more likely suspect in the gunning down of the family.

Hi Steve I am glad you got your turn, for now it is my turn. :)

I have just waded through the statements of both Dr Ferguson and Dr Angeloglou and raise some points by them both, if I may, I will use F and A, with the exception of Dr Illife  that way my fingers wont drop off.


From Dr Angeloglou Statements

Dr Illiffe saw SC on in March 1985 and sent a report to Dr A saying she was psychotic.

On the 25th March Dr A received a further report from Dr F telling his SC had been admitted to St Andrews on the 3rd March 85. She was released on the 29th March at a cost of £120 per day.

11th July SC had her monthly injection of Halopethidol which was reduced by half at SC requests. 100mg.  This was given to her by Dr Wilkinson.

Jan 85 SC was given 10mg Anafranil an anti depressant. 1 Tablet taken at night.

15th of Jan 85 that above dosage was increased to 30mg.

Sheila was also given Procycidene which combats the side effect of muscular movements described by AE in her statements. This drug also has another side effect, it makes a person active, happy and very alert. She was given a months supply of 120 tablets.

From Dr Ferguson's Statements.

I treated June in late June 1982 for psychosis, for she suffered distortion in her religious beliefs and tended to see everything in terms of good and evil.

I first saw SC when she had been suffering psychosis for about two weeks and had been depressed and unconfident for 18th months.  She had an acute breakdown, inferring to a poor outlook. She was admitted to St Andrews 4th August 1983

A, SC suffered from: Bizzare delusions about the possession of the devil.

B, Complex ideas about sex with her children.

C, She thought her children would seduce her, she saw evil in both of them.

D, She thought one of her sons a woman hater and was an potential murderer.

E, She thought that she was caught up in a coven of evil.

F, She saw her mother as a threat and did not want to visit the farm.

G, She found it difficult to relate her feelings to her mother.

All of the above is from the doctors statement.

He goes on to say. When SC was released she had made a partial recovery. He recommended she further treatment by the NHS.

The last time she was admitted 3rd March 85, Nevill had had her admitted due to her deterioration of her mental state, she was psychotic at the time. She thought Freddie her friend was the devil. Sheila laughed inappropriately and was restless.  Sheila told him she was more relaxed and that she had now found god.  She also admitted to using cocaine frequently, she smoked it in a social context.

Her psychotic behaviour and was not drug induced, but would certainly be exacerbated by the use of illicit drugs.  Discharged 28th March 1985.

When she was released she was visited by a psychiatric nurse?  Had treatment fro Dr A and visits to St Mary's Hospital.

In hindsight, I believe SC would have relapsed into an acute psychotic state, having beliefs or delusions about good and evil and paranoia involving  her mother. She is likely to have been in a disturbed psychotic state at the time of the tragedy.

SC was a difficult patient and  failed to take her medication and missed appointments.

There are no statements of Jeremy Bamber having any related illness.






« Last Edit: August 13, 2012, 02:42:PM by Patti »

Offline Jane

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 Good post, succinctly said, Patti, but I'm not egap, although we frequently say similar things!!!!!

Offline Patti

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Good post, succinctly said, Patti, but I'm not egap, although we frequently say similar things!!!!!

Oh april I am so so sorry....I got mixed up. It happens to me all the time, even at work. :(

Offline Jane

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Oh april I am so so sorry....I got mixed up. It happens to me all the time, even at work. :(

No worries, Patti, I was really just jesting. A friend is taking something for memory loss..............if only I could remember what it is!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Offline susan

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Hi Patti  that was an excellent post and so informative I am glad I let you do all the research as on a Dial Up connection it would be Christmas before I had it downloaded.  Thank you my friend :)  I think my connection is a little bit faster or I am :)

Offline Patti

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No worries, Patti, I was really just jesting. A friend is taking something for memory loss..............if only I could remember what it is!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

That's OK april, I find it difficult to concentrate on two things at once...I like to think about one thing at a time, does that make sense. When I think of several things I get mixed up, then I lose the drive to carry on....I don't need a doctor, but I need to train my way of thought more...God I feel like a yo yo sometimes.... :) :) :) :)

Offline Patti

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Hi Patti  that was an excellent post and so informative I am glad I let you do all the research as on a Dial Up connection it would be Christmas before I had it downloaded.  Thank you my friend :)  I think my connection is a little bit faster or I am :)

Thank you Susan. The words are from the two doctors' statements...I hope Steve looks at them.

I thought I would reach 91 the time it took for the closing ceremony of the Olympics...Didn't go to bed till about 3 am this morning...feel like I have an hang over today.  :) :) :) :)

Offline susan

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Hi Patti  think you just need to have an early night 3 in the morning you must be tired and loose your train of thought I feel  like that if I go to bed later than 10p.m. ;)

Offline Jane

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That's OK april, I find it difficult to concentrate on two things at once...I like to think about one thing at a time, does that make sense. When I think of several things I get mixed up, then I lose the drive to carry on....I don't need a doctor, but I need to train my way of thought more...God I feel like a yo yo sometimes.... :) :) :) :)


It make absolute sense, Patti. When I focus on one thing at a time I can apply my full attention to it and usually get a good outcome. With several things running through the grey matter I spend more time thinking about WHAT to do, than actually DOING, meaning not much gets done. The application of discipline works wonders.........or so I'm told!!!!! Off out, sees ya later.

Offline Steve_uk

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Hi Steve I am glad you got your turn, for now it is my turn. :)

I have just waded through the statements of both Dr Ferguson and Dr Angeloglou and raise some points by them both, if I may, I will use F and A, with the exception of Dr Illife  that way my fingers wont drop off.


From Dr Angeloglou Statements

Dr Illiffe saw SC on in March 1985 and sent a report to Dr A saying she was psychotic.

On the 25th March Dr A received a further report from Dr F telling his SC had been admitted to St Andrews on the 3rd March 85. She was released on the 29th March at a cost of £120 per day.

11th July SC had her monthly injection of Halopethidol which was reduced by half at SC requests. 100mg.  This was given to her by Dr Wilkinson.

Jan 85 SC was given 10mg Anafranil an anti depressant. 1 Tablet taken at night.

15th of Jan 85 that above dosage was increased to 30mg.

Sheila was also given Procycidene which combats the side effect of muscular movements described by AE in her statements. This drug also has another side effect, it makes a person active, happy and very alert. She was given a months supply of 120 tablets.

From Dr Ferguson's Statements.

I treated June in late June 1982 for psychosis, for she suffered distortion in her religious beliefs and tended to see everything in terms of good and evil.

I first saw SC when she had been suffering psychosis for about two weeks and had been depressed and unconfident for 18th months.  She had an acute breakdown, inferring to a poor outlook. She was admitted to St Andrews 4th August 1983

A, SC suffered from: Bizzare delusions about the possession of the devil.

B, Complex ideas about sex with her children.

C, She thought her children would seduce her, she saw evil in both of them.

D, She thought one of her sons a woman hater and was an potential murderer.

E, She thought that she was caught up in a coven of evil.

F, She saw her mother as a threat and did not want to visit the farm.

G, She found it difficult to relate her feelings to her mother.

All of the above is from the doctors statement.

He goes on to say. When SC was released she had made a partial recovery. He recommended she further treatment by the NHS.

The last time she was admitted 3rd March 85, Nevill had had her admitted due to her deterioration of her mental state, she was psychotic at the time. She thought Freddie her friend was the devil. Sheila laughed inappropriately and was restless.  Sheila told him she was more relaxed and that she had now found god.  She also admitted to using cocaine frequently, she smoked it in a social context.

Her psychotic behaviour and was not drug induced, but would certainly be exacerbated by the use of illicit drugs.  Discharged 28th March 1985.

When she was released she was visited by a psychiatric nurse?  Had treatment fro Dr A and visits to St Mary's Hospital.

In hindsight, I believe SC would have relapsed into an acute psychotic state, having beliefs or delusions about good and evil and paranoia involving  her mother. She is likely to have been in a disturbed psychotic state at the time of the tragedy.

SC was a difficult patient and  failed to take her medication and missed appointments.

There are no statements of Jeremy Bamber having any related illness.

But Sheila was a danger to herself if anyone,not to others. Had she ever attacked anyone ever whilst previously in a psychotic state? I would have been more inclined to admit that Sheila might have suffered a psychotic episode that Wednesday morning had she had no Haloperidol in her system,but the autopsy report showed that she had. All indications were that she was calm on the Tuesday evening,and suffering if anything the side-effects of a high dosage of Haloperidol,the vacant stare reported from the shopkeeper in Tiptree,and the conversation she had with Pamela on the telephone. The custody issue again is a matter of dispute;Colin had joint custody of the twins and would have won any court battle hands down,as grandparents have no rights whatsoever over natural parents.Surely Ralph as a magistrate would have known this?

I have re-read the part in Colin's book where Jeremy discusses the telephone call,and Jeremy stated that at the time of the call Jeremy says that he had the impression that Ralph(Nevill) may already have been wounded. In this case it's my opinion that with the welfare of the twins in his mind and Nevill having been able to reach the telephone he would have dialled the three figure number 999 rather than the seven figure number to Jeremy's cottage at Goldhanger,that is if Nevill had that number in his head at all..

Offline Jane

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But Sheila was a danger to herself if anyone,not to others. Had she ever attacked anyone ever whilst previously in a psychotic state? I would have been more inclined to admit that Sheila might have suffered a psychotic episode that Wednesday morning had she had no Haloperidol in her system,but the autopsy report showed that she had. All indications were that she was calm on the Tuesday evening,and suffering if anything the side-effects of a high dosage of Haloperidol,the vacant stare reported from the shopkeeper in Tiptree,and the conversation she had with Pamela on the telephone. The custody issue again is a matter of dispute;Colin had joint custody of the twins and would have won any court battle hands down,as grandparents have no rights whatsoever over natural parents.Surely Ralph as a magistrate would have known this?

I have re-read the part in Colin's book where Jeremy discusses the telephone call,and Jeremy stated that at the time of the call Jeremy says that he had the impression that Ralph(Nevill) may already have been wounded. In this case it's my opinion that with the welfare of the twins in his mind and Nevill having been able to reach the telephone he would have dialled the three figure number 999 rather than the seven figure number to Jeremy's cottage at Goldhanger,that is if Nevill had that number in his head at all..

Answering your first point, Steve, it amused me to see you suggest that, as to your knowledge, Sheila,mentally ill, had only previously been a danger to herself, therefore she was incapable of being a danger to others. Strange, isn't it, that Jeremy, mentally sound, who had never previously committed murder, is suddenly deemed to have committed five!!!!! Sauce for both goose and gander comes to mind.

Going back to Sheila's looking at Sheila's mind set during that last fatal visit. From what was said by the Tiptree shopkeeper and Ann, "calm before the storm" comes to mind, THE most dangerous mind set in would be suicides. The reality of her situation matters not a jot. It was her perception of reality which is important here. I think she may have been needy in a way that pushed others away. Possibly Colin found himself needing an equal partner not a recalcitrant third child but undoubtedly she needed him in order to survive because without him, it would have to be her parents who supported her, something she may not have wanted, but most certainly needed. Undoubtedly there would have been conditions attached to their support, the first, probably because they saw her primarily as a wayward child, rather than a mentally ill woman, would possibly have been to restrict the freedom she had experienced in London, that alone would have meant she was trapped. Then the inevitable prayers and Bible classes..............and the effect all of this would have on her boys. Farm life per se, they probably enjoyed but I imagine June cast a long, dark show over them, diminishing their vivacity and stifling their free spirits.When Colin told her he was in love with somebody else, her world must have fallen apart. An educated guess tells me that the future she saw coming for her and her boys was one she didn't want for any of them. Frankly, I'm not surprised she was quiet and withdrawn, that weekend, there was precious little for her to be happy about.

Enough may well have been enough.

Offline susan

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Morning april  Just read your reply to steve and although I know very little about mental illness but knowing the intelligent lady you are and anything you post is always well researched I am now learning a little about the illness and understanding the situation better.  I thank you for that.

Offline maggie

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Hi April, well said, I have to agree with all you said.  It is true also about the 'calm before the storm' because that is surely what it was.  In schizophrenia withdrawal and dissasociation are warning signs of an impending psychotic event.  We all speak in politicaly correct language these days but to my mind Sheila probably suffered from what in my youth would have been called a 'brain storm'......nothing new just different jargon. imo

Offline Jane

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Morning april  Just read your reply to steve and although I know very little about mental illness but knowing the intelligent lady you are and anything you post is always well researched I am now learning a little about the illness and understanding the situation better.  I thank you for that.

Susan, hi, good morning and thank you. I do have SOME knowledge of mental conditions but only insofar as they touch my own particular area of expertize, the HUMAN condition. I have a feeling that there are those here with far greater knowledge than I of mental illness. Off out now. Back later.