Indefinite psychiatric detention for man who beheaded wife

LONDON: A British court sentenced a 40-year-old man to indefinite psychiatric detention on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to killing and beheading his wife while he was experiencing a delusion triggered by watching a reality television programme.
Timothy Allen killed Samantha Ho, a 39-year-old bioscientist, in August at the home they shared in the eastern English town of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, shortly after they had watched the X-Factor talent show, police and prosecutors said.
Allen first tried to kill himself with a knife and then attacked Ho and the couple's dog.
He had a history of mental illness dating back to a serious motorcycle accident in 2004, the court heard.
Cambridgeshire police said officers responded to a call from the ambulance service and found Ho's body inside the house after forcing entry.
Ho died from multiple cuts to her neck, a postmortem examination found.
"We have put our faith in the justice system to make amends for this crime and we welcome today's result," Ho's family said after Thursday's sentencing, in statement issued via the police.
"However, no sentence can bring Samantha back." — dpa