Fatal attack knifeman requires lifelong mental health supervision, court told

Zephaniah McLeod previously admitted killing Jacob Billington and injured seven other people during a spate of attacks in Birmingham last year.
Zephaniah McLeod killed one man and injured seven other people in his knife rampage (West Midlands Police/PA)
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Richard Vernalls17 November 2021

A man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia who stabbed to death a university worker and wounded seven others in a knife attack spree will need “close and lifelong” psychiatric monitoring, a court has heard.

Zephaniah McLeod has previously admitted the manslaughter by diminished responsibility of Jacob Billington during a spate of apparent random and motiveless attacks in Birmingham in the early hours of September 6, 2020.

He has also admitted four counts of attempted murder and three counts of wounding with intent, in relation to seven other people he slashed and stabbed in the city centre that night.

McLeod, 28, of Nately Grove, Selly Oak, Birmingham, is being sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court.

During the hearing before Mr Justice Pepperall on Wednesday, a psychiatrist gave expert evidence on McLeod’s recollection of that night’s events, his mental health, and how he might be treated in future.

The court heard that after his arrest, on September 7 last year, McLeod spoke of hearing voices and appeared “detached or unconcerned about the situation he currently found himself in”, according to Karim Khalil QC, prosecuting.

He also told mental health workers, four days before his attacks, that he did not have a prescription for anti-psychotic medication and had instead been “taking his friend’s”.

McLeod, who had reported symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia back in 2012, had only been released from prison in April 2020.

Jacob Billington was killed by Zephaniah McLeod while on a night out in Birmingham (West Midlands Police/PA)
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The court has already heard how he was well known to mental health services.

However, on release, they had no idea of his whereabouts and it was only when McLeod visited his GP that mental health workers tracked him down.

When they did visit him at home, he spoke of hearing “distressing” voices but “refused” to attend an assessment with a psychiatrist later that day.

The court heard that appointment was set for September 3 – four days before the fatal attack.

McLeod then went on to launch a “brutal” series of knife attacks, carried out in the space of 90 minutes.

After arrest, McLeod told a psychiatrist at the high security Ashworth Hospital he had increased his use of crack cocaine, cannabis and alcohol from August 2020.

During an assessment by consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Jeremy Kenney-Herbert, McLeod was asked if he had any memory of the attacks, replying: “I have tried to, but I can’t remember.”

Dr Kenney-Herbert agreed McLeod was “very dangerous” and would need “close and lifelong treatment” for his mental illness, adding there was no “timeframe” for when there might be an improvement in his condition.

He added it was his opinion that McLeod was “severely psychotic” at the time of the attacks.

McLeod has previous convictions for robbery, possession of drugs and of an imitation firearm, and also for assaulting a six-month-old baby.

However, Dr Kenney-Herbert said “nothing suggests mental illness was a factor” in any of his other previous offending.

It is my opinion this very tragic incident... was highly attributable to his untreated mental illness and highly psychotic state at the time

Dr Jeremy Kenney-Herbert, psychiatrist

Asked for his conclusions, the doctor said it was “unfortunate” McLeod had been released at the end of his jail term, in April 2020, “in the midst of an evolving pandemic”, unsupervised.

“In an ideal world someone like this would be close to home when released, so mental health services could be engaged… that housing could be arranged,” he said.

“Possibly if he had been released under licence, there would have been approved premises run by the Probation Service, structured and supported.

“Basically, housing, mental health support, supervision.”

The doctor said it was his opinion the most effective venue for managing McLeod would be in a “high security” hospital.

He added: “It is my opinion this very tragic incident… was highly attributable to his untreated mental illness and highly psychotic state at the time.

“To protect others, everything must be done to keep that psychiatric illness, his schizophrenia, treated, kept under control and monitored, very strictly.

“With someone like McLeod, given what we know, I would find it hard to consider any other level of security than high security for the considerable future.”

Later, when asked about McLeod’s treatment, the doctor said: “It may be there’s no cure, that’s absolutely right.”

The sentencing hearing continues.

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