A man who fatally stabbed an 82-year-old in a random attack while under a delusion has been given a hospital order.
Julian Donoher, 51, admitted the manslaughter of Gerard Ring by reason of diminished responsibility at Derby Crown Court. Mr Ring died in hospital three days after being stabbed outside his home in Whitecross Gardens, Derby, on 6 September 2025.
The court heard that Donoher was suffering from delusions, including a belief that Mr Ring was a paedophile, which a prosecutor stated was untrue. Donoher had not taken his mental health medication for nine months before the attack, and drug use was a contributory factor to his delusions, which were primarily caused by schizoaffective disorder.
Sentencing Donoher to an indefinite hospital order, Judge Shaun Smith KC said the order included a restriction to protect the public.