Stolen from us by an act of evil>vid
THE family of a Hull pensioner who was killed by a psychotic teenager have told of their "unbearable sense of loss".
James Callaghan, 18, killed 65-year-old Irene Roberton with an axe after breaking into her home in west Hull on December 28 last year.
Hull Crown Court heard Callaghan, who was 17 at the time, suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and was urged to kill by voices he heard.
He had gone on a drink and drug-fuelled rampage around west Hull, threatening a number of people and attacking an 18-year-old man, before he killed the pensioner in a random attack.
The teenager then smashed through the door of a neighbouring couple, who called the police and he was arrested at the scene minutes later.
In a statement, Mrs Roberton's son Darren said: "My mum was cruelly and viciously taken away from me and my family.
"In a single act of evil violence she was stolen from us, robbed of the precious gift of life.
"In that single moment, our world changed forever and our lives will never be the same again.
"Our hearts were ripped in two and we were engulfed and overwhelmed with grief and an unbearable sense of loss."
Detectives investigating Mrs Roberton's death said there could have been multiple killings as Callaghan tore around the streets armed with an axe and knife.
Detective Superintendent Dena Fleming, who heads Humberside Police's major incident team, said: "There could have been numerous victims that night. If the officers attending that call hadn't got there when they did, there could have been more victims."
Callaghan previously pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in relation to Mrs Roberton's death and wounding with intent for the attack on the 18-year-old.
Psychiatric assessments revealed he was suffering from a "severe enduring mental illness" likely to be paranoid schizophrenia.
Honorary Recorder for Hull and the East Riding, Judge Michael Mettyear, said Callaghan continued to pose a risk to the public and it would be a "very long time, if ever" before his release was even considered.
He ordered the teenager be made subject of a hospital order, with a restriction which means he cannot be released without the permission of the Home Secretary or an independent tribunal.
See today's Mail for more on the killing, including:
A narrative of the night Callaghan went our armed with an axe
The family's statement in full
A profile of Callaghan and his medical condition
An explanation of what the sentence means
18 Comments
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by annonomus, west hull
Wednesday, October 28 2009, 12:58AM
“it makes me sick that when ever someone does something so terrible it is always the easy option to blame it on mental illness.. he knew dam welll what he had done as you can see an hear him confessing on the video footage.. i think this sercierty is becoming a very scary place for our children to grow up in.”
by Grim Reaper, under Paul's bed
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 9:35PM
“Paul, Bev Rd., Be afraid, be very afraid we're gonna get you and your alter ego”
by paul, bev rd
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 5:34PM
“actually people with paranoid schizophrenia are actually not violent and do not carry knifes and kill, im paranoid schizophrenia and am not violent i hear voices etc but were not violent, plus theres good medication nowadays its been out for many yrs new antiphycotics so theres no excuse, i think this guy is just a thug and a brutal phycho who is playing the system to make people think he as a mental illness.”
by annon, hull
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 2:24PM
“My friend is the daughter of the victim, you cannot imagine what a terrible, horrific, nightmare of a situation they have been put through, there is not a day goes by that she is not in tears for her Mum, their lives have been turned upside down, they cannot imagine how to turn around the corner to continue on with their lives, she was ill recently and i remember her saying to me "All i want is a cuddle from Mum to know everything will be ok!!!" knowing that will never happen again...the person who did this unthinkable crime maybe ill, who knows, but its is my friend and her family who are suffering, he should be hung..life for a life...my friend feels her life is over ..his should be..xmas is not going to be a nice time for them, i know she is not looking forward to it, would you be?”
by me, Hull
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 1:48PM
“Angry, I can assure you my thoughts go out to this ladies family, certainly not his, though i obviosuly don't blame them at all, and i stand by what i say. This murdering little scum should be locked up in jail and left there until he dies as a convicted criminal. Too easy for suspects to hide behind mental health issues to evade proper justic, and enough is enough. I mentioned ADHD not as the reason in this case, but as an example of the made up ilness syndrome blighting this country. People should get a grip and stop hiding behind a raft of new mental health issues. There are mental health issues and illnesses i know, i never doubted that, but it irritates me immensley when criminals hide behind these issues to evade proper criminal justice.”
by living in the 13th century, hull
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 1:39PM
“Bring back old school punishment!!!!
hung, drawn and quarter the worthless scroat.”
by angry, Hull
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 1:30PM
“'ME, Hull' .. How dare you say that kids are not 'bad' anymore because they suffer from 'some sort of new made up illness' i have relatives who suffer from this as well as other behavioural/ communication difficulties as part as the autistic spectrum.
ADHD has not been mentioned within this case at all and paranoid schizophrenia is certainly not the same thing!!
My thoughts go out to this family and also to the family of 'in despair, hull'
But, i think that 'me, Hull' should REALLY think about what he/she is saying before writing it.”
by me, Hull
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 12:10PM
“Yes, good point JH, we have an extensive CCTV system in this city, and supposedly it is manned 24 hours a day by CCTV opertors in the city centre. Has the question been asked by the council leaders as to why this guys behaviour was not picked up by operators and it reported to the police, I know for a certain that the operators have direct access to the police. Without obviously blaming the operators for what happened, you can't help wondering that if they had been more observant they could have alerted police and maybe, just maybe prevented this murder. Isn't CCTV supposed to prevent crime, not just be used to investigate it , and for its pcitures to appear in the HDM weeks later.”
by CG, In a country surrounded by doo gooders
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 12:04PM
“Hang the scumbag”
by Me, Hull
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 12:02PM
“Why do we have to look for excuses to give evil people some sort of medical condition to excuse their appalling bhaviour. This scum bag has been classed as having mental illness, bad kids are not bad any more, they apprently suffer from some sort of new made up illness called ADHD. We seem to have created an entire industry of self classed experts coming up with new and ever fanciful titles and conditions to try to justify evil behaviour. This is getting ridiculous, this guy is an evil murderer and should be jailed for life, meaning he dies in jail, end of.”