RIPPER OBSESSED TEEN DOUBLE KILLER SAID HE WAS POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL

RIPPER OBSESSED TEEN DOUBLE KILLER SAID HE WAS POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL

A Yorkshire Ripper obsessed 15-year-old boy who admits killing two people said he was “being controlled” by the devil, a court heard.

And the youth told doctors he wanted to rape and strangle patients on the ward of a secure hospital he was transferred to after being charged with two murders, the court was told.

The teenager, now 17, repeatedly stabbed disabled father-of-five James Attfield, 33, and Saudi Arabian student Nahid Almanea in frenzied attacks in 2014.

He was finally arrested in May 2015 after he was found with a knife in woods near Colchester in Essex, where the two victims were killed.

The boy, who is autistic, confessed to fatally stabbing the pair, and claimed voices told him to “sacrifice” them for committing sins.

He later told doctors it made him feel “powerful” and “excited” thinking he was the killer after reading about it in the news, Guildford Crown Court heard today.

The court heard the boy, sat in the dock flanked by healthcare professionals, was transferred from Feltham Young Offenders’ Institute to a secure hospital in Southampton last September.

Dr Simon Hill, who has been in close contact with the boy over the past few months, said the voices had stopped since the boy was put on anti-psychosis drugs.

He said it was “highly likely” the teen was suffering from psychosis at the time of the killings.

During his first few weeks at the hospital the boy told staff he had wanted to rape and strangle patients on the ward, the court heard.

And he had claimed voices forced him to kill Mr Attfield and Ms Almanea – but had since said he was “ashamed” about the killings.

Simon Spence QC, defending, asked Dr Hill: “Did he state he was possessed by the devil?”

Dr Hill replied: “He did. He said that, and he said some of his actions were being controlled by the devil.

“We were obviously concerned he may be a risk to people around him so we had two members of staff with him at all times.”

He said the teenager was “overly compliant” and easily led.

Asked about the boy’s recollections of the killings, Dr Hill said: “He was very clear in the first few months that the voices had forced him.

“He no longer believed he had committed the offences.”

Mr Spence asked him: “Did he say to you he had become fascinated by the case?”

Dr Hill replied: “He said it made him feel powerful and excited thinking he was the killer.”

The court heard how two drawings had been found in the boy’s cell at Feltham last July.

The first drawing had a dagger with two half faces on – one smiling with the word ‘good’ above it and a sad face with the word ‘evil’ above it.

Written at the top was “the man that no one understands”, and below that “the voices that no one wants to treat”.

The second drawing showed a similar dagger but with only one half of the face, the smiling side, and had the words written at the top “a different side to me”.

In the first few weeks in the hospital, he told doctors he heard the voices on a daily basis, and wanted to carry out violent acts – including raping a female patient.

Dr Hill said: “He described strong male urges to rape her and he was unable to guarantee her safety.

“He appears agitated, angered and his fists were clenches when I suggested his views on rape were not consistent with his views on prostitutes.”

The voices also told him to strangle a female patient at the hospital, the court heard.

Dr Hill said: “He wasn’t able to guarantee he wouldn’t strangle the girl.”

As a result, he was placed in solitary confinement.

But since taking the anti-psychosis drugs, the boy had become calmer and the voices had stopped, Dr Hill said.

He added: “He started to report and has continued, that he has felt ashamed of his past thoughts about violence.

“He doesn’t really understand why he felt that in the first place.”

Explaining why the teen had carried out the killings, Dr Hill said: “I think it is highly likely he was suffering from psychosis at the time of these events.”

The voices had told him to sacrifice, but Dr Hill said: “He said he didn’t know the meaning of the word sacrifice. He had to look it up.”

He said the teenager was below average intelligence, and added: “I don’t believe he has the ability to deceive.”

But in a report last November, Dr Hill said he was “still unclear” as to whether the teenager has a psychotic illness, Philip Bennetts QC, prosecuting, said.

Mr Bennetts said: “It was your view wasn’t it, on November 20th, when you first saw him you thought it was likely he had an emerging anti social behaviour disorder.”

Dr Hill said: “This report dates back several months.

“I described this morning there is still a level of being unclear.

“I think it is highly likely he had suffered symptoms. There is still a small chance he has made up all these symptoms. I consider it is highly unlikely.”

Mr Bennetts asked him: “Is it still in your opinion you are unclear?”

Dr Hill replied: “No, my thoughts have crystallised since over the last couple of months. This was an early report in November.

“I think it is highly likely he had a psychotic illness.”

Dr Hill also told the court how the boy had said he watched pornographic and violent DVDs before he began hearing voices.

He said: “He said that the violent DVDs the police found belonged to his parents, although some he bought himself.

“He watched violent and pornographic films on his computer. He said he watched those films before the voices.

“But after hearing voices the videos excited him.

“He admitted being turned on by the thought of serial killers but his excitement increased after he started hearing voices.”

The teen admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denied murder.

The trial continues.

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