Dog walker stabbed to death by man who ‘heard voices saying they’d kill him’

A man who stabbed a grandfather to death in a "horrific" attack claimed had he not attacked someone "voices" were going to kill him.

David Fleet, 21, attacked Lewis Stone, 71, while the pensioner was out walking his dog near the Borth Wildlife Animal Kingdom in Mid Wales.

Fleet pleaded guilty on Monday to manslaughter and having an offensive weapon, after three independent psychologists said they believed he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attack.

While in custody, he said he had taken the knife from his parents' kitchen and had he not attacked someone, "voices" were going to kill him and take over his brain.

Fleet has now been sectioned under the mental health act.

On Monday, a court heard the attacker was suffering from an episode of schizophrenia when he repeatedly stabbed Mr Stone on the banks of the River Leri on February 28 this year, leaving him with injuries which led to his death three months later.

Swansea Crown Court was told Fleet, who had a history of mental illness but was being managed in the community, was heard by his brother that morning apparently speaking to himself in his bedroom saying "I'll be there now".

He then left and walked towards an amusement arcade in the village dressed in a hoodie, the court heard.

Mr Stone was seen by neighbours leaving their holiday caravan park with his dog, Jock, around 9.20am, before eventually running into his attacker around 20 minutes later.

Witness Terrence Williams, who was talking with two police officers, heard someone shouting "I'm being stabbed" and saw Fleet "scuffling" with Mr Stone on the opposite bank of the River Leri.

Fleet stood up astride Mr Stone and appeared to stab him while he was on the floor, before running away and being pursued by Mr Williams and one of the officers on Mr Williams' quad bike.

Fleet was arrested by the officer further up the bank, and when asked what happened he replied "I don't know" and "I only ran because of the shouting".

No weapons were found on him and no knife was ever recovered by police.

Mr Stone was tended to by Mr Williams' wife and the other policeman before being taken by air ambulance to the Royal Stoke Hospital, where it was assessed he had been stabbed once in the front of his abdomen and twice in his lower back.

He underwent a number of operations and blood transfusions over the following weeks, but developed numerous infections including a chest infection and E. coli.

Mr Stone deteriorated further until he died on May 23, three months after the attack, leaving his wife Elizabeth, two daughters, two stepdaughters, four granddaughters, one grandson, and a great grandchild born in July.

Daughter Karina Waft said her father was an "old fashioned gentleman who wouldn't hurt anyone. A very proud man".

Stepdaughter Victoria Lindsay said in statement: "He was an amazing husband to mum, a fantastic granddad, and the man I want to walk me down aisle one day."

Prosecutor Michael Jones told the court: "By virtue of both extensive medical evidence in this case and the plea, there is no dispute it was this defendants' actions that day with a knife that caused those injuries, and had a catastrophic effect and caused [the] death of Mr Stone."

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