Hospital order for man who stabbed mother in row over TV remote

Former nurse Mariatu Nuni, 58, was stabbed in the heart by her son John Makannah, 35, at their family home in Springwood Avenue, West Bowling, Bradford. Yesterday Makannah was ordered to be detained at the Newton Lodge medium secure unit at Wakefield.

The cannabis-user, who was born in Sierra Leone, had history of mental illness and prosecutor Jonathan Sharp told Bradford Crown Court that before coming to this country in March last year he had spent time in a mental hospital and had been seen by a spiritualist and a herbalist.

The court heard his mother arranged for him to be seen privately in this country, but when a doctor prescribed anti-psychotic medication Makannah refused to take it.

Mr Sharp said Makannah's behaviour was seen to be abnormal by professionals and neighbours and the police were repeatedly called to the family home because of arguments.

Police attended the house the night before the fatal stabbing in January after Makannah claimed his mother had assaulted him and had not given him the money he needed.

The next morning Makannah had another argument with his mother.

He later claimed that it had been over the TV remote control and the volume at which his grandmother wanted to watch the TV.

"The defendant armed himself with a knife and violently attacked his mother," said Mr Sharp.

Makannah's mother was pronounced dead at hospital.

One neighbour later saw Makannah point at his grandmother and say: "It is all her fault. They shouldn't have taken the remote off me."

Makannah, who admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in July, was yesterday ordered to be detained under the Mental Health Act without limit of time.