A 42-year-old man who fled from a psychiatric hospital has admitted stabbing his parents to death.
William Warrington, from St Georges’ Street, Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his father Clive, 67, and mother Valerie, 73, by reason of diminished responsibility.
The parents, who were divorced, were found dead at two separate properties, in Sherborne Place, Cheltenham and Bourton-on-the-Water on 2nd March.
Since the killing Warrington has been detained at Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility.
Bristol Crown Court was told that he has been diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia, and having “delusionary beliefs” that he was being persecuted.
On the night of the killings, Warrington was allowed out into a courtyard of the facility but he managed to slip out of the reception door to be collected by a pre-booked taxi. Staff at Wotton Lawn reported him missing shortly before midnight. He was dropped off about five miles from Bourton, after buying drinks along the way.
He broke into his mother’s home and violently killed her. She received stabbings, stampings and had her body driven over by her car, which Warrington then took and drove to Cheltenham.
He went to his father’s flat. At about 6.15am neighbours heard loud banging and Clive Warrington shouting for help. A voice they did not recognise said, “I’m going to enjoy this.” His father was stabbed and had his throat cut. Warrington was arrested a short time after police arrived and found the body.
Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting, said that in the months leading up to the killings, Warrington, a heavy cannabis user, had been sending “extremely aggressive” messages to his parents.
Warrington has been given a hospital order without the restriction of the limit of time.