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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Matt Cooper & Bradley Jolly

Gran admits killing grandson, 5, by stabbing him 29 times at family home

A grandmother has admitted killing her five-year-old grandson who was found stabbed to death at his home.

Elena Anghel, 51, "lost contact with reality" due to an acute and sudden deterioration in her mental health.

A court heard the woman suffered delusions linked to paranoid schizophrenia and became convinced David-Mario Lazar, known to his family as Mario, was in such danger of terrible suffering it would be better to kill him.

The child sustained 29 areas of sharp force injuries at the address in Earlsdon, Coventry, and today his gran admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

The boy was stabbed at an address in Earlsdon, Coventry, in January last year (SWNS)

She was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order at Warwick Crown Court.

Describing the case as "truly tragic", Mrs Justice Cockerill said: "The sad truth is that when you killed Mario you were exceedingly mentally unwell.

"Your delusions were all-encompassing. You had in effect lost contact with reality.

"You were convinced that your grandson was in such danger of terrible suffering that it would be better to kill him and that is what you did.

"I am sure you would never have hurt, much less killed, Mario had you not been very ill."

Police are pictured investigating the tragedy on the residential street (SWNS)

The court was told Anghel, who was accompanied in the dock by four health workers and an interpreter, has an extensive history of treatment in Romania for psychotic and depressive disorders dating back to at least 2009, including eight stays in psychiatric units.

Imposing a hospital order "without limit of time" on Anghel, the judge said: "You have expressed profound remorse... so much so that you have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"That course (a hospital order) is supported without reservation by all of the medical professionals.

"You will need treatment for the rest of your life. The evidence is clear - this is best done in hospital."

Anghel had been caring for David-Mario after school while his parents were at work (West Midlands Police / SWNS)

David-Mario's parents, Cristina and Cristina and Dorinel, were present in court for the sentencing hearing and were thanked by the judge for their courage and graciousness in watching the proceedings.

In a victim impact statement read into the court record by prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith, David-Mario's mother said: "I still cannot believe this has happened. It is over a year ago now and nothing changes."

The victim impact statement continued: "In our home Mario is everywhere. There are pictures and memories of him all over.

"He will never be forgotten."

Opening the facts of the case, prosecution counsel Christopher Tehrani KC said Anghel, who has no previous convictions, had not told her GP about her mental health problems.

West Midlands Police arrested the grandmother on suspicion of murder but she went onto deny this charge, and admit manslaughter with diminished responsibility instead (SWNS)

The court heard Romanian-born David-Mario, described as a bright boy who took pleasure in learning English, was killed after coming home from school with his father, who then returned to work.

Shortly before 5.15pm, the court heard, Anghel went to a nearby Co-op store in a distressed state, appearing to be saying "police" and "translate" repeatedly.

Police were called to the scene and Anghel told an officer who could speak Romanian that she had killed her grandson, making delusional claims that she had not wanted him to suffer serious assaults at the hands of someone else.

Police then discovered Mario's body and he was pronounced dead.

Offering mitigation prior to sentence, defence KC Caroline Haughey described the case as "an utterly tragic and horrendous event for all parties."

"What is abundantly clear is that she loved her grandson unconditionally," she added.

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