THE husband of the nurse whose careless driving killed Judy De Gelas said she should not have been on the streets due to her mental health problems.

Jacqueline Loosley's husband spoke out after she was sentenced to eight years in jail (see link below), saying the mental health service had to share the blame.

Simon Loosley, 46, said although his wife was obviously devastated by what had has happened she had tried to get help.

He said: "She should not have been on the streets. She should have been locked up before this happened. Someone wouldn't have died."

The court heard Loosley had been sectioned on two occasions in April but released just days later. Dafna Spiro, defending, said Mr Loosley did everything he could to help his wife.

On April 19 she was referred to the Wycombe Day Hospital but she was told her needs were more long term and was told to refer back to her GP, which Mr Loosley said took them "back to square one".

He said: "After that it was what more can you do?"

Between January 5 and the day of the accident, there were 73 reports on her GP's system about her, 'many of which were from her or her husband seeking help'.

He worried not only for her but for the safety of others. But Ms Spiro said they were continually "fobbed off" and no help was given.

Mr Loosley added: "She even, at one time, phoned the secure unit after she had been released and asked to be readmitted. The person on the phone just said to call the Wycombe Crisis Team. That shows how desperate she was. She was someone trying to get help."

He said on the day of the accident he phoned the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Service which resulted in a Serious Incident Review. The results are expected in October.

He said: "This is the bit I am fighting for."

The 46-year-old has lost his job as an IT consultant in Marlow because he had to take so much time off work to look after her. He also said he now cannot afford to keep his home.

Mr Loosley added she did plead guilty at the "first opportunity". The judge gave her [only] 20 per cent credit for her guilty plea because he said it was delayed, which further delayed closure for the victim's family.

Mr Loosley said: "It is totally wrong to give her 20 per cent credit. The last hearing was the first time they put the charge to her to let her plead guilty or not guilty."

Mr Loosley said his wife was only in her car that day because she thought she could get help from the Oasis Partnership in High Wycombe.

He said: "I am not trying to defend my wife or her actions. I really want to highlight the inadequacy of the authorities. Maybe if one other person doesn't have to go through this maybe something has been achieved."

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said it cannot comment on an individual patient’s care arrangements.

A spokesman added: "OBMH rigorously investigates all incidents involving people who use our services and lessons to be learned are identified and the follow up is taken very seriously."

She said the NHS code of practice, in accordance with legislation, means the Trust would not disclose any confidential patient information to other organisations, including potential employers.