Paranoid schizophrenic detained indefinitely for murder

23-year-old paranoid schizophrenic Anthony Joseph, has been detained indefinitely at Broadmoor secure mental health institution for repeatedly stabbing, Richard Whelan, 28, in July 2005. The hospitality worker had attempted to stop Joseph throwing chips at his girlfriend on a bus in Holloway, north London when he was fatally stabbed seven times, including once in the heart. Following the verdict, the government launched an inquiry to discover how Anthony, who should have been detained at the time he attacked Richard, was released from prison to kill.

Anthony Joseph killed Richard eight hours after he was released from a Manchester prison after an allegation of a sexual nature was dropped. However, he should have been detained for his connection with a burglary offence which had seen the issuing of an arrest warrant. During the trial, Justice Gross said "You [Anthony Joseph] bear considerable responsibility for your actions which were fuelled by alcohol and crack cocaine." The case focused on Joseph’s mental health at the time of attack. His defence stated that he had been suffering from an onset of schizophrenia when he attacked Richard.

Joseph was acquitted of murder when two previous trials failed to produce a verdict, however he admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Following the verdict, Richard’s family released a statement in which they claimed that "the defence of diminished responsibility in this case has been used as a defence for the un-defendable, with so much evidence showing that Anthony Joseph was an angry and vindictive man… He has tried to excuse his actions that evening by claiming mental illness, however in our opinion he callously killed Richard for no reason at all."