An Indian-origin doctor who drove a car off a cliff with his wife and two children inside, in an alleged murder-suicide attempt, last year, will not be given jail time for now and will receive mental health treatment instead.
According to NBC News, Dharmesh A Patel, a radiologist from California, pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder after the car he was driving plunged off a 250 ft cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway in San Mateo County. Miraculously, all four survived and were rescued from a mangled Tesla from Devil’s Slide.
Patel’s defence attorney Joshua Bentley argued in May that Patel did not pose a danger to the community as he will be under an intensive psychiatric treatment programme.
“It’s important to understand why we are here. Not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal. There is no question this is a very serious case. But the law encompasses this very situation,” Bentley told Superior Court Judge Susan M. Jakubowski.
According to AP news, Deputy District Attorney Dominique Davis said that Patel poses “an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety", and argued that he should not qualify for a mental health diversion programme. Davis said, in the weeks leading up to the attempted murders, Patel experienced paranoia and delusions, symptoms of schizoaffective disorder.
The judge stated in her ruling that Patel didn’t have a history of violence, and that his diagnonsis of a major depressive disorder had a major role in his actions.
Patel will have to complete a two-year mental health outpatient treatment programme for his charges to be dropped.
His wife Neha also testified and said that she did not want her husband prosecuted, adding that the children missed their father and wanted him to return home.
He will also to wear a GPS-tracking bracelet with a siren, as per reports. Patel isn’t allowed to travel outside the country, and has been asked to surrender his driving licence and passport. The next hearing is on July 1.