THE mother of a teenage girl who was killed by a schizophrenic says she is “shocked” the Liverpool doctor who set him free will not be struck off.

Paranoid schizophrenic Mark Corner, (pictured), killed and dismembered Hanane Parry, 19, and Pauline Stephen, 25, in July, 2003, after being released from hospital.

Body parts were later discovered in bin bags at the back entrance to his Everton home, in his freezer, and dumped at Stanley Park.

A tribunal heard how consultant psychiatrist Eric Birchall discharged highly disturbed Mark Corner against the advice of other doctors and his own family.

Less than a year after being released from the Ferndale Unit at University Hospital Aintree on Merseyside, Corner committed the gruesome killings of the two prostitutes.

Both women had been so badly mutilated that pathologists were unable to say how they died.

Dr Birchall authorised the release and failed to use approved monitoring systems despite knowing Corner was a cannabis smoker, had a history of violence and harboured murderous thoughts.

But yesterday (Wed Apr 16) a General Medical Council (GMC) panel, sitting in Manchester, decided Dr Birchall, 70, should not be struck off for “a single error of judgement”.

Last night, Diane Parry, Hanane’s mother, told of her anger at the decision.

Speaking at her home in Chester, Mrs Parry, 43, said: “I’m shocked and sad that the GMC has decided to try to sweep this under the carpet.

“They have said that Dr Birchall was to blame but that he should not pay the price for what they call a ‘one-off mistake’.”

In December, 2003, Corner was sentenced to indefinite detention under the Mental Health Act after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Corner had mental health problems from the age of 12, and had been sectioned in 2002 after trying to stab a female neighbour with a kitchen knife.

Corner’s medical record also showed he had confessed to another doctor he had an “abnormal interest in girls who died and were dismembered”.

Experts had concluded he was likely to become dangerous if he went back to using alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. And a mental health tribunal ruled Corner, whose family lived in Everton, Liverpool, should not be released.

But Dr Birchall agreed to discharge Corner less than a month later, telling his GP that he was a low risk to others.

Within a fortnight, Corner had taken an overdose of paracetamol. He told doctors he had stopped taking medication for his schizophrenia and had begun drinking and smoking cannabis.

Corner’s father pleaded with the doctors to re-admit his son, but again Corner was discharged.

In the months before the killings, he missed two of three outpatient appointments and was seen just once by his GP. He also admitted taking up to 70 Ecstasy tablets a week and “hearing voices” in his head.

A Department of Health Inquiry published in 2007 listed nine blunders in the case and laid most of the blame on Dr Birchall.

But at the end of a seven-day hearing in Manchester a GMC Fitness to Practice Panel said Dr Birchall was not guilty of gross misconduct and ruled that he should not be struck or officially warned.

In its ruling the GMC Panel referred to Corner as “Patient A”.

The ruling said: “As the key worker you were responsible for ensuring Care Programme Approach (CPA) meetings took place and arranging rapid reviews if any concerns were raised about Patient A.

“The Panel found proved that you did not keep in close touch with Patient A and monitor his care.

“The Panel also found proved that you did not take any or any adequate or sufficient, steps to manage, treat and care for Patient A after he failed to attend at his out-patients appointments on 13 January 2003.

“Further, it determined that your conduct in relation to this was not of a standard expected of a reasonably competent Consultant Psychiatrist.

“All human beings make mistakes from time to time. Doctors are no different.

“While occasional one-off mistakes need to be thoroughly investigated by those immediately involved where the incident occurred, and any harm put right, they are unlikely in themselves to indicate a fitness to practise problem.

“The Panel has determined that your failure in relation to one out-patient appointment involving Patient A has been found to be below the standard expected of a reasonably competent Consultant Psychiatrist.

“This incident occurred more than five years ago when you were working part-time, with limited resources and you had responsibility for more than 200 patients.

“The Panel did not view your failure as ‘incompetence or negligence of a high degree’, nor is it conduct which would be considered as deplorable by fellow practitioners”.

“For these reasons, the Panel has concluded that your failure was not so serious as to amount to impairment by reason of your misconduct.

“The Panel is not minded to impose a warning.”