Paranoid schizophrenic could spend rest of his life in Broadmoor after decapitating flatmate
Karl Addo hacked Sergio Marquez, 23, to death in a prolonged attack in Bournemouth
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A paranoid schizophrenic has been told he could spend the rest of his life locked up after killing and decapitating his flatmate.
Karl Addo was described by medics as being profoundly mentally ill and borderline insane and will be held in Broadmoor.
He was jailed for life and will serve a minimum of six and a half years but Mr Justice Burnett told him: “You will be detained for at least six and half years but will not be released unless the relevant authorities conclude that is it safe to do so.
”Given all that I have heard, you must recognise that there is a real possibility that such a conclusion will never be reached.“
Addo hacked Sergio Marquez, 23, to death in a prolonged attack in Bournemouth believing him to be part of a gang intent on torturing and killing him.
The dead man’s mother, Maria Carmen Marquez Torres, said: ”Sergio was a kind, good-hearted and beautiful man who touched the lives of everyone who met him.
“I have lost my son and the world has lost a wonderful man. I believe that I have received justice for me and for Sergio.
”No sentence would ever be sufficient and nothing will ever compensate me for the loss of my son, but I find comfort in the fact that Mr Addo will not have his freedom for a long time and inflict this pain on any other family.“
Detective Inspector Stewart Balmer, of Dorset Police, said: ”This was a horrific offence committed against a young man who had come to the UK to broaden his horizons and improve his English.
“This is a tragic loss of life and it has deeply affected all those who knew Sergio. Today's proceedings have brought to an end the investigation and will hopefully give the family some closure.”
Addo, 30, an engineering graduate, had been a voluntary patient at the Huntley Mental Health Centre in London but absconded the day before a mental health tribunal decided in October 2011 he should be sectioned.
He moved to Bournemouth and killed the hotel waiter on July 17 last year. Police officers arrested Addo nearby covered in blood, the court was told.
Flatmates told police that Addo had been acting strangely, that he used to steal food from them and had used book pages as toilet paper. He had not paid his rent and had been told to leave by the landlord, the court heard.
Mr Marquez, from Spain, had sent a note about his anti-social behaviour and Addo resented it, the court heard.
The victim had tried to defend himself from the attack but was cornered in a room. A neighbour heard some of the attack and Mr Marquez saying “please Karl, please Karl”, furniture being dragged around and then Addo laugh.
Addo had denied murder but admitted manslaughter through diminished responsibility.