MOTHER 'UNLAWFULLY KILLED' BY SON SUFFERING FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA
A woman was unlawfully killed by her son, Peter Holboll, who stabbed her before setting her flat on fire in Kentish Town.The incident occurred on 9 May 2014, and Holboll was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
The coroner, Mary Hassell, made a narrative determination at St Pancras Coroners Court, stating that "what happened here could happen elsewhere in London and elsewhere in the country." In November, 44-year-old Holboll pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Prior to the attack, Holboll made several calls to the South Camden Rehabilitation and Recovery Team, expressing fears that he might harm his mother.
Despite social workers' assessments of his anxiety, voices, and confusion—who thought he was not at "imminent risk"—he later committed the homicide.
Holboll was subsequently sent to a secure hospital for an indefinite period.
The court noted that inadequate coordination and missed opportunities to prevent the tragedy were key concerns, prompting the coroner to consider issuing a prevention of future death report.
"What happened here could happen elsewhere," she warned, emphasizing the need for system improvements.
