Woman admits stabbing her grandfather, 80, to death

A woman who stabbed her 80-year-old grandfather to death faces spending the rest of her life in a secure hospital, a judge has said.

Rachael Flemington, 31, attacked James Fish with an axe and knives at his bungalow in Waltham, North East Lincolnshire, in January 2018.

Sheffield Crown Court heard she had "paranoid persecutory delusions".

The prosecution accepted her guilty plea to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said he had to consider whether Flemington should be sent to prison, but he said it was clear that would be a "catastrophe" and the best way to protect the public was an indefinite hospital order.

He told Flemington, who appeared in court via video-link: "You are going to be looked after at the hospital. It may be you will be for the rest of your life.

"It is unquestionably for the best. It is for the best for you and it is for the best for the public."

Flemington replied: "Yes, sir."

The court heard the defendant has schizophrenia and developed paranoid delusions at the time of the killing which led her to believe her grandfather was a danger to her.

Richard Woolfall, prosecuting, said Flemington bought an axe and acquired a number of knives before she went to her grandfather's home on the morning of 29 January 2018.

He said she hit Mr Fish on the head with the blunt end of the axe and attacked him with an 8in (20cm) carving knife.

One blow severed his jugular vein and another pierced his lung and aorta, the court heard.

Mr Woolfall said the defendant had been a "much-loved child".

"Her grandparents did all they could to bring her happiness. They gave her significant amounts of love," he said.

Flemington was found unfit to plead in 2018, but a jury found she had killed her grandfather in a "trial of facts".

She was now able to enter pleas after making progress with the help of medics.