The public will be protected from a paranoid schizophrenic who stabbed to death her own father in a "vile crime to the nicest man you could meet", a court heard. Ann Dixon, 49, who plunged a knife into her dad, Ray Dixon, three times, has been given a hospital order to "protect the public from serious harm" without limit of time.
Dixon, appearing over a live link from a secure unit, had tested positive for Covid-19 on February 26, 2021, and had a fluctuating temperature. She was at home with her dad at the time of her illness but began feeling a lot better and her 77-year-old dad had cooked her pancakes with honey.
Days later she was to kill him. Nottingham Crown Court heard on Thursday, April 21, how, shortly after 6am, on March 3, the defendant took a knife from her bedroom and walked into her father's bedroom while he was fast asleep. Dixon said, "dad", and he responded, "what's up?"
Read more: Pensioner was stabbed to death by daughter
The devoted grandad was stabbed in the chest - twice to the back. Dixon, of Moorbridge Lane, Stapleford, later told a doctor she had stopped her father from leaving the room to get help. While he fell to the floor, she popped to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal to eat, the court heard.
Then she realised her father was still alive and took a second knife and went towards her father saying, "die". He bravely grabbed the knife from her and told her to go to her room and she did. Dixon dressed in her coat and packed a bag with personal belongings and passport, because she knew she was going with police to be incarcerated. She knew she was in trouble.
Ray Dixon bravely made his way downstairs, despite his wounds. He rang an ambulance. He told the operator: "I need help...my daughter has stabbed me". He said he took the knife from her and the incident was in his bedroom. Police had to kick the back door in to get to Ray. He was semi-conscious with his house key in his hand.
His other daughter, Vicky, said: "On the day he died, my wonderful dad used his last ounce of strength to phone 999 to report what Ann had done to him".
Ann Dixon, who has no previous convictions, said she stabbed him three times. He fell to the floor. She realised he was not dead and she got a bigger knife. She entered the room, saying, "die".
It has been established Dixon has paranoid schizophrenia, and the length of time she suffered from that is unascertained, the court heard. Judge Gregory Dickson QC, who sentenced her after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, said it is possible she concealed her illness from her family and others - that she was hearing voices.
Psychiatrist Dr Hilary Parrott had described Dixon as "being under the control of omnipotent voices" - something Dixon perceives are extremely powerful and have "complete power over her". "She has to do the bidding of the voices, particularly the male voice of the devil. She is very carefully managed. No staff can be with her on her own. She understands the voices did the act. That is what she has told me".
Mary Prior QC, prosecuting, asked: "And that 'act' caused the death of her father?" Doctor Parrott agreed. Dixon knows her father died and, "she knows the devil instructed her to kill him".
Dixon, who worked full-time, always lived at home and had a history of depression.
Vicky, Mr Dixon's other daughter, told the court: "I can't describe the grief I felt and still can't, as it has changed my life and my family's life forever". She said she will never forgive Dixon for what she had done, and added: "This is a vile crime to the nicest man you could meet".
Her daughter, Abby, added: “I have an enormous amount of pride for my grandad for fighting against what Ann did and making it to the phone to call for help. It must have taken more bravery than I can imagine. A small comfort is that he died fighting, and through this, may have saved others by these actions.
"I know he wouldn’t like seeing us all here today, seeing how Ann’s malice has affected us, but I hope in time, he would be proud of how we overcame this extreme and unforgiveable cruelty." Judge Dickinson said Mr Dixon died alone, unnecessarily, but with great courage and dignity. "This is unspeakably tragic and terrible. Ray Dixon was just 77", he added.
"I was shown earlier some truly lovely photographs," he said of Ray. "His character cries out from those pictures". As he sentenced Dixon, the judge said he had seen reports from four psychiatrists about her. "All the psychiatrists have been throughout of the same opinion - that Ann Dixon suffers from a severe psychotic illness, specifically paranoid schizophrenia.
"She hears voices. We all have an inner voice, but, in psychotic illness, that voice appears to be coming from outside, from a third person, and that commands her to harm others". The view of all the doctors is that Dixon is genuinely deluded, in which, said the judge, "I mean she is not deliberately making this up".
Detective Inspector Steve Wragg, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a tragic and distressing case that saw a much-loved father and grandfather killed in violent circumstances. “While today's sentencing will not make up for the heartache felt by Mr Dixon's family, I hope it gives them some comfort that his brave actions in his final moments helped bring his killer to justice.
“Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the two police officers who arrived first at the scene. They displayed a huge amount of courage and professionalism as they fought to save Mr Dixon’s life and apprehended his killer.”
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