THE partner of a champion golfer who suffers from bipolar disorder has hit out at his “disgusting” treatment by the justice system after he was locked up rather than given medical care.

Former Scottish strokeplay champion David Downie and partner Caroline Manson believe he has fallen between the cracks of a court service that struggles to deal effectively with mental health.

Ms Manson believes that his illness, combined with a lack of proper medical care, has led to the golfer being held in prison.

Mr Downie has been remanded in HMP Perth awaiting trial and Ms Manson, who has a four-year-old daughter with the former professional golfer, claims he has struggled to get the medication he needs and should be in hospital instead.

“David wanted treatment, he wanted help, and he was very badly let down,” she said. “It’s absolutely disgusting.

“Our daughter keeps asking ‘when is daddy coming home?’. All I want is for David to get treatment and get to the point where he can come home, with a proper after-care plan in place, so we can all move on with our lives.”

Her views have been backed by Mr Downie’s solicitor, Scott Norrie, who agreed his client would be “better served somewhere other than prison”.

It is understood Mr Downie’s problems began in November last year when he started to feel unwell and checked himself into the psychiatric unit at Stratheden Hospital in Cupar.

Ms Manson claims he was discharged from the hospital too soon, without a proper care plan and continued to suffer manic episodes.

It was then that the police became involved and Mr Downie was arrested for breach of the peace and subjected to strict bail conditions.

He appeared at court on February 15 charged with breaching those conditions and was remanded in custody.

Ms Manson claimed her partner had been left without medication for five days and was also administered sleeping tablets in the afternoon instead of at night.

“Stopping and starting his medication will prevent him from getting well”, said Ms Manson. 

“David has ended up in prison through no fault of his own and the care he initially received there was very poor.”

It is understood that medication can be withheld in prison due to safety concerns if an inmate does not take it at the time it is administered.

Both the Scottish Prison Service and NHS Tayside, which covers HMP Perth, and NHS Fife, which covers Stratheden Hospital, refused to comment on Mr Downie’s case due to confidentiality.

However, a spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said: “NHS Tayside’s prisoner healthcare service provides mental health care and treatment under the direction of a consultant psychiatrist for any prisoner at HMP Perth who presents with a severe and enduring mental health condition.”

A spokeswoman for the judiciary said: “The decision on whether or not to remand an accused in custody is a matter for the sheriff having regard to the terms of the relevant legislation, the facts and circumstances of the particular case and what was said to the court by the Crown and by the defence.”

Mr Downie last played competitive golf in the paid ranks in 1999. He lifted the Scottish Strokeplay title at Letham Grange in 1994, preceding Ryder Cup star Stephen Gallacher and tour winner Alastair Forsyth, and later went on to coach several players.