Daniel Young, 30, was on his way to work in London when he was stabbed to death
A university lecturer was stabbed to death by a schizophrenic who had been released from a psychiatric care unit just months before, an inquest heard.
Mark Loveridge, 39, lay in wait for Daniel Young, 30, before stabbing him to death and continuing on his way to work as his victim bled to death.
Mr Young suffered an injury to the abdomen and died as passers-by in Kendor Gardens, Morden, south west London desperately tried to save him.
The 30-year-old, who grew up in Paignton, Devon, was attacked on his way to his ‘dream job’ at Coventry University’s London campus on January 19, 2016.
His killer had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital despite warning staff he was a danger to the public, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard.
Loveridge was first referred to psychiatric services aged 21 and was admitted to Wilson Hospital in Surrey for treatment in August 2013.
He started hearing a ‘running commentary’ in his head and ‘derogatory voices’ after a stint of heavy substance abuse in his teenage years.
Six months before the killing Loveridge had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication and started using cocaine and amphetamines which ‘exacerbated and triggered’ his mental illness, according to one psychiatrist.
Mark Loveridge, 39, (left) lay in wait for Daniel Young, 30, (right) before stabbing him to death
Loveridge stabbed Kamil Bulat, 24, just hours before the killing because the victim had ‘come too close to him’.
He was arrested following a violent struggle with officers at his home on 26 January, then barricaded himself in his police cell and ‘used his own urine to discourage police officers and his own legal representative’ from approaching him.
During his police interview Loveridge said he ‘had been woken early by the voices’ on the day of the killing before he set off to work. The inquest heard he was also stressed following the death of his dog.
Louise Guest, who was Loveridge’s psychologist between 2014 and 2015 at St George’s Hospital, told the inquest he had been discharged from services at the time of the offence for six months.
Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: ‘Here is someone with a history of violence he has been under the system for two years and he has made a very good response to the medication and then you let him go until he refers himself back to the GP.’
Ms Guest replied: ‘It might sound astonishing but that is what we do. This is very standard practice I have about 200 patient son my case-load. Mr Loveridge did not stand out at all as a patient on that case-load. I am working with a group of psychotic people, the risks are not only unpredictable but they are also very unwell.’
‘In young people knife carrying has become far more epidemic. He was in no way the most high risk patient.’
Mr Young died on the pavement while his killer walked off and continued on his way to work
CCTV of university lecturer Daniel Young leaving his house on his way to work
Loveridge was involved in gangs as a 16-year-old and has convictions dating back to 1994 for attacking strangers with knives and iron bars and possessing and supplying drugs.
He was charged but cleared of causing grievous bodily harm aged 16 after claiming he stabbed a member of another gang in self-defence.
The man later died ‘as a result of having no spleen’, the court heard.
In 2005 he was convicted of criminal damage after kicking a door off its hinges.He was arrested a year later after being caught with a baseball bat.
In 2010 and 2014 he admitted assaulting strangers with a knife in separate incidents and told doctors he was ‘struggling to not act on the voices’ in his head.
The part-time gardener was admitted to Spingfield Hospital on January 24, 2014 after he told mental health workers he had attacked ‘a stranger with a knife’ and ‘was a danger to the public.’
He was treated at Springfield University Hospital in Tooting, south London, for just one week before he was released.
Mr Young’s family Thomas Young, 18, Julie Young and Simon Young, 28, pictured leaving the Old Bailey to see his killer jailed
Floral tributes were left near Morden tube station following the horrific attack
Mr Young, who grew up in Paignton, Devon, was attacked on his way to his ‘dream job’ at Coventry University’s London campus on January 19, 2016
Loveridge was then discharged from treatment as an outpatient and told he could wean himself off his medication in June 2015.
Loveridge’s GP Dr Naem Khan told the inquest that in 2015 the surgery did not have any monitoring for patients who did not pick up prescriptions, as there was no guidance in this from the NHS.
Following Mr Young’s death, he said the surgery has introduced a system for its 64 patients that collect anti-psychotic prescriptions.
Loveridge claimed he had ‘no control’ over his hand as he killed Mr Young.
He was jailed for life at the Old Bailey last October and Judge Mark Lucraft, QC, said Mr Young’s tragic killing could have been avoided ‘had the NHS and mental health services been given the resources which they so desperately needed’.
He gave Loveridge a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years but sent the killer for treatment in Broadmoor Hospital until he is well enough to be transferred to prison.
The inquest continues.