‘Kill Kenny or we will bomb the town’: Schizophrenic who slit his friend’s throat to ‘stop aliens from blowing up his neighbourhood’ is found not guilty of murder
- A man who killed his friend has been found not guilty due to his mental illness
- Andrew John Osmand stabbed Kevin Hodges, 49, while the pair watched footy
- Osmand was found guilty of not murdering Mr Hodges due to his schizophrenia
A schizophrenic man who killed his friend by slitting his throat to ‘stop aliens from blowing up his town’ has been found not guilty on the basis of mental illness.
Andrew John Osmand on Wednesday avoided conviction over the death of Kevin Hodges, 49, who was killed while the pair were watching the 2017 State of Origin series, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The 48-year-old slashed Mr Hodges’ carotid artery, jugular, trachea and oesophagus, but Supreme Court judge Stephen Campbell said his mental illness was to blame.
Andrew John Osmand (pictured) was on Wednesday found not guilty of murdering Kevin Hodges, 49, while the pair were watching the 2017 State of Origin series
Police arrested Osmand at the rural property he and the victim were staying at in Dangarsleigh, south of Armidale, in New South Wales on the morning of June 22.
Prior to killing his friend, Osmand allegedly told his mother aliens had delivered an ultimatum, which meant he needed to do something.
‘Mum, I’ve been telling you this for years. Let me finish. The aliens are here and they are going to cook the earth unless I do something,’ Osmand said.
‘They have delivered their ultimatum.’
Osmand also confessed to psychologist Dr Olav Nielssen that a voice had told him to ‘kill Kenny or we will bomb the town’.
Mr Hodges (pictured right) was stabbed in the carotid artery, jugular, trachea and oesophagus, but Supreme Court judge Stephen Campbell said his attacker’s mental illness led him to do it
Forensic evidence tendered to the court showed the knife Osmand used to stab Mr Hodges (pictured) on the morning of June 22 had a blade that was greater than 10cm in length
‘He said he thought he was in a war, hearing firearms discharging and he thought he heard his neighbour screaming … he thought the neighbours and the people in the town were going to die,’ the decision reads.
Forensic evidence tendered to the court showed the knife Osmand used to stab the victim on the morning of June 22 had a blade that was greater than 10cm in length.
Despite the evidence, Judge Campbell said he believed Osmand was doing what he though was the right thing – a decision based on two psychological assessments.
Osmand will remain in a mental health wing of a correctional facility until his potential release is assessed by the Mental Heath Review Tribunal.
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