CHORLON SCHIZOPHRENIC MAN KILLS BOY IN TWISTED DELUSION
Anthony Barnwell, 25, had been left to look after James Brennan by his father, David Broomhead, at their home in Terrington Close on Chorlton's Nell Lane estate.Barnwell, a paranoid schizophrenic, believed himself to be Jesus and that he had been ordered telepathically through a sci-fi TV episode to carry out a killing.
He thought James was Judas Iscariot and needed to be eliminated.
Barnwell went into the boy's bedroom while he was sleeping and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest with a bread-knife.
As James tried to escape, Barnwell chased him around the room, wounding him 73 times.
The attack occurred in September 2005, and Barnwell later told police his delusions led him to the belief that killing James was necessary to stop Judas's spirit from transferring to the family's dog, Hercules, who later died in a pool of blood.
Barnwell admitted manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility and was detained indefinitely in a secure hospital unit for treatment.
The court ruled that his mental illness did not stem from drug abuse, although tests showed traces of cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis in his blood.
His condition had deteriorated since he stopped medication, leading to irrational beliefs and violent acts.
Barnwell's behavior was never violent until the killing, but his mental health issues and episodes of delusional thinking culminated in this tragic event.
The judge imposed a restriction order, stating he would not be released until deemed safe, potentially many years from now.
The family of James Brennan expressed devastation over his murder, describing their lives as torn apart.
