Schizophrenic jailed for random murder

A paranoid schizophrenic, who was released from care, has been jailed for life for the random murder of a father-of-three. Daniel Quelch, 34, suffered 82 knife wounds during the frenzied assault in front of two of his children at his parents' bungalow just outside Maidenhead, Berkshire, in August last year. Benjamin Frankum, 26, who had broken into the property, was arrested at the scene covered in blood and wearing only his boxer shorts. He told police he had been sent by MI5 to kill Mr Quelch. Frankum had previously been sectioned but later released to live in supported accommodation in Littlehampton, West Sussex. But after failing to take his medication for a number of weeks killed landscape gardener Mr Quelch, who was asleep in bed with his two-year-old son. Judge Zoe Smith had ruled Frankum unfit to stand trial for murder. A jury was instead asked to decide whether he was responsible for killing Mr Quelch following a trial at Reading Crown Court. It took them just over an hour to convict him. Judge Smith said the killing was "truly horrific" and sentenced Frankum to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act with an additional restriction order without limit of time. It will mean Frankum will spend the rest of his life in Broadmoor Hospital. Mr Quelch's family said Frankum's release from care was a "terrible mistake" and described the murder as "the beginning of a nightmare that will never end". They are now awaiting an independent inquiry which will look into the events that led to the tragedy. He had been in and out of hospital with mental illness, having been sectioned in 2001 and diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. He had no history of violence or previous convictions.

» More on this story... «

ITN | September 1, 2008

Tags:. .mr. .without. .whether. .told. .murder