MENTALLY ILL MAN GIVEN INDEFINITE HOSPITAL ORDER AFTER STRANGLING GIRLFRIEND
A man suffering from severe mental illness, Edwin Gyekye, 31, physically assaulted and murdered his long-term girlfriend Sarrah Garba at their home in Gateshead on September 23 last year.The court heard Gyekye believed Sarrah was Satan and claimed he had to kill her to bring her back.
The judge, Paul Sloan, detailed the attack, stating: 'There were at least 12 blows to Sarrah's face, as well as wounds caused by a round-edged weapon.' Gyekye strangled Sarrah with her own knickers and cardigan, arranging her body in a 'crucifix' position—an act that reflected his disturbed mental state.
During arrest, Gyekye, who is HIV positive, asked police about God and cannibalism, then bit a police officer on the forearm, though fortunately no disease transmission occurred.
Gyekye pleaded guilty to manslaughter with diminished responsibility, and Judge Sloan sentenced him to an indefinite hospital order, considering his history of psychotic episodes, including a previous psychotic episode in Paris in 2013.
He had also refused ongoing medication in the UK, and after the killing, he was found on the porch of a neighboring property, initially suspected of attempted burglary.
Medical experts diagnosed Gyekye with paranoid schizophrenia, and he believed voices in his head told him he needed to kill his girlfriend, whom he thought was Satan.
The court heard that Gyekye had a history of mental health issues, including psychotic episodes, and his actions in the killing reflected his severe mental disturbance.
