Psychiatric patient in bid to kill Minster tourist ‘heard voices’

A PSYCHIATRIC patient who tried to kill an elderly tourist outside York Minster by battering him over the head with a cobblestone, said he did it because God told him to.

Paul Knipe, 44, was yesterday jailed indefinitely at York Crown Court for the attack on 78-year-old South African holidaymaker Lyle Thole, who was walking back to his hotel at 8.30pm on July 1, last year when he took a wrong turning near the Minster.

Nicholas Barker, prosecuting, said Knipe, of Spring Hill, Tadcaster, who had been following his victim for up to 20 minutes, then launched into the savage attack with “a face that looked dead, with a vacant look”.

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Mr Thole, who was on a golfing holiday, was struck on the back of the head with the cobble, then a further three or four times while on his hands and knees. During the attack, Knipe said: “I’m mentally ill and I’m going to kill you.”

The assault was eventually stopped by two members of the Minster clergy who rushed to Mr Thole’s aid. He was left with blood pouring from his head, and needing 30 stitches.

Following his arrest, Knipe gave a prepared statement to police, in which he said he had been hearing voices for a year, telling him to kill people.

He added: “Last night, the voices kept telling me to hurt somebody and if I did, they would leave me alone.”

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The court heard Knipe was detained under the Mental Health Act in April last year, before the attack in July, after he told police he carried a knife at night and hid in bushes because he wanted to attack women.

Knipe was sentenced to imprisonment for public protection after earlier pleading guilty to attempted murder. Judge Stephen Ashurst told him he would serve at least four-and-a-half years in jail before being considered for release.

David Dixon, defending, said Knipe led a “normal, responsible and caring life” but had changed after his mother died a few years ago. He had been receiving treatment for mental health problems.

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