Homicide in the UK

On this page:

• Contact with mental health services
• Patient homicides and convictions

In 2012-2022, NCISH was notified of 5,794 homicide convictions in the general population, an average of 527 per year. There were 6,165 victims, an average of 560 per year.

Contact with mental health services

There were an estimated 637 patients in recent (<12 months) contact with mental health services convicted of a homicide offence, an average of 58 per year; these are referred to as patient homicides.

< Back to top

Patient homicides and convictions

The number of homicide convictions fell after 2013 and remained steady in 2014-2019. Estimated figures in 2021-2022 show an increase which seems most likely due to delays in court prosecutions and outcomes due to COVID-19 in 2020 when there was a fall. However, these estimated figures should be treated with caution.

There were 658 victims of patient homicide, an average of 60 per year.

Around 1 in 5 patients convicted of homicide were aged under 25 (127, 22%) and 29 (5%) were under 18.

Across the UK, patients represented 11% of people convicted of homicide. This figure continues to be higher in Scotland (17%) and Wales (14%) and where the general population homicide rates are also higher.

< Back to top

NHS England independent investigation

More information taken from independent investigations following homicides committed while perpetrators were under the care of mental health services can be found in An Independent Review of the Independent Investigations for Mental Health Homicides in England (NHS England).

< Back to top

Homicide by patients in recent (<12 month) contact with mental health services in the UK, by year of conviction and year of offence

< Back to top

Number of homicide offenders in the general population and by patients in recent (<12 month) contact with mental health services, by UK country (2012-2022)

* Northern Ireland data between 2012-2014

< Back to top