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Schizophrenia Suspect Kills Disabled Woman Hours After Sentence
5 Aug
Summary
- Suspect attacked disabled woman just hours after receiving a suspended sentence.
- The victim made multiple desperate calls for help before she died.
- Family expressed disappointment with the hospital order, wanting a penal element.
A woman with schizophrenia, Patricia Hewitt, 42, inflicted 47 stab wounds on Angela Lloyd, 56, a disabled woman, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. This fatal attack happened on August 13 of last year, mere hours after Hewitt was given a suspended prison sentence and just minutes after being approached by police community support officers.
Hewitt pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, a plea accepted following extensive psychiatric reviews. On Wednesday, she received a hospital order, deemed the best course for long-term public safety by a psychiatrist. However, Ms. Lloyd's family expressed their "disappointment," believing a penal element was warranted.
The court was informed that Hewitt had been arrested the day prior for assault, leading to her suspended sentence. Later, after interacting with police regarding a welfare check, she committed the fatal attack. Ms. Lloyd, who used a wheelchair, made three calls to a Care Connect alarm service, with one transcription revealing screams for help and a struggle.
When Ms. Lloyd's carer arrived, she was found unresponsive. Statements from Ms. Lloyd's brothers highlighted her simple life and charitable work. A psychiatrist indicated that Hewitt's schizophrenia symptoms may have been overlooked. Ms. Lloyd's family lamented the loss of their "ray of sunshine" and questioned the system's failure to protect her, despite acknowledging the offender's diminished responsibility.
