Schizophrenic Leeds teenager stabbed his sleeping grandmother to death
A paranoid teenager suffering from schizophrenia stabbed his grandmother to death with a “fearsome” kitchen knife as she slept in her bed.
Brandon Skelton carried out the frenzied attack with the 20cm knife, and stabbed her around 12 times to her chest and back.
Some of the blows were delivered with “severe and extreme force”, with the entire blade being plunged into her body and through her breastbone.
Skelton, who was 17 at the time but is now 19, later admitted a charge of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility. He is being treated for paranoid schizophrenia.
He was ordered to be detained under a hospital order at Leeds Crown Court today as a direct alternative to a jail sentence.
Outlining the case for the Crown, Michael Smith said Skelton had gone to stay at his grandmother’s house on Prince Edward Grove, near Wortley, in October 2023, because of his rapidly-deteriorating mental health, which had “reached crisis point”.
Mr Smith said his family had sought help in the months leading up to the killing through various organisations, and had tried to have him “sectioned”.
He was described as being a gamer and a loner, but had started going out with friends in his final year at school. He was using cannabis on a daily basis and was using ecstasy and cocaine “regularly”.
His family noted he was becoming increasingly paranoid, which grew worse when he split up with his girlfriend.
He had “disturbing presentations”, such as laughing at himself in the mirror, slept with knives under his bed and talked of stabbing and strangling people.
It was arranged for him to stay with his grandmother and her husband because he had never shown any animosity or violence towards her previously.
On the night of October 23, 2023, Mrs Barnett and her husband Andrew had been asleep in bed when Skelton entered the room.
Mr Barnett saw him enter and thought he was approaching his 60-year-old grandmother to ask her a question, but began raining down blows with the knife.
She woke up and tried to get away to protect herself, while Mr Barnett tried to intervene.
Mr Barnett eventually got Skelton out of the room and tried to administer first aid, but her wounds were “unsurvivable”.
She suffered 15 stab wounds from at least 12 separate blows, the court heard. The wounds breached both lungs, damaged major blood vessels and vital organs.
The emergency services were called but she was declared deceased at 11.45pm.
Brandon, of Leasowe Close, Hunslet, was swiftly arrested and during his interview admitted the killing. He also told officers that he was hearing voices.
Giving evidence during the sentencing hearing, qualified psychiatrist Dr Navdeep Malik confirmed that Skelton was suffering from schizophrenia, was now medicated in a secure hospital but continues to show symptoms.
He recommended the Section 37 order with Section 41 restrictions.
It means he will be held in a secure unit until he is deemed well enough. His eventual release can only be sanctioned by the secretary of state.
Mitigating on behalf of Skelton, Mohammed Nawaz KC said it was a “desperately sad case”, and that at the time, he was “in the grip of a developing and largely-undiagnosed mental health condition”.
The judge, Recorder Guy Kearl KC, said of Skelton’s paranoid schizophrenia: “It’s a severe mental disorder causing him to lose touch with reality.
“It substantially impaired his ability to form a rational judgement and exert self control.
“It’s severe, enduring and pervasive.”