TWO nurses were sacked for lying about their conduct on the morning of Nicola Edgington’s murderous Bexleyheath rampage.

The 32-year-old was convicted at the Old Bailey this afternoon of murdering Sally Hodkin, 58, and attempting to murder then 22-year-old Kerry Clark in the town centre on the morning of October 10, 2011.

Afam Obosi and Alhaji Mansaray were fired from their jobs as mental health nurses at the Oxleas unit in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich after giving an inquiry false accounts of how they chased after Edgington when she fled the unit through a door which was meant to be locked.

The mental patient absconded without warning at 7am while waiting to be admitted to Oxleas and CCTV footage showed neither Obosi or Mansaray went after her. An employment tribunal in August 2012 found the pair were not unfairly dismissed.

The head of Oxleas NHS Trust has apologised to Mrs Hodkin’s family over the incident.

Chief executive Stephen Firn said: “I am very sorry that this tragic incident happened and would like to express again my sincere condolences to the family of Mrs Hodkin.

“It is a matter of extreme regret that she was able to leave the unit before being admitted and subsequently carried out this dreadful crime.”

An inquiry conducted by the trust concluded the decision to recommend to the Ministry of Justice Edgington be discharged from the secure Bracton Centre in Dartford in 2009 was sound.

She subsequently lived at Ambedkar House, Flavell Mews in Greenwich and received community care.

Mr Firn added: “The report makes several recommendations which have all been put into place and reviewed regularly by the board of directors.

“In line with national NHS requirements there will now be an independent inquiry.”

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