Peterborough man who killed carer father is given hospital order

Robert Merritt was stabbed 16 times, jurors heard

A man with a schizophrenic illness who stabbed his father to death has been given a hospital order.

Robert Merritt, 60, was stabbed 16 times at the home he shared with his son Adam Merritt, 33, in Orton Malborne, Peterborough, in June.

Adam Merritt confessed to the killing in a 999 call, admitting "he'd lost his temper with his father", a court heard.

He was deemed unfit to stand trial, but on Tuesday a jury found that he committed the act.

At a previous hearing, prosecutor Andrew Jackson said that Adam Merritt had been diagnosed with a schizophrenic illness in his late teens, which "meant he needed some level of care and it was his father Robert who took on that role".

Adam Merritt was deemed not fit to stand trial

Mr Jackson said that at 00:53 BST on 29 June, "the defendant made a telephone call to the police" where he confessed to killing his father.

The court heard there was no-one else present when his father was killed and Mr Jackson said Adam Merritt "voluntarily admitted he'd lost his temper with his father".

Robert Merritt was pronounced dead at the scene at their home in Lythemere.

Cambridgeshire Police said officers found a bloodied knife in the kitchen sink. A post mortem examination concluded Robert Merritt died from stab wounds.

The jury was told Adam Merritt had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication two weeks earlier, but had taken a dose of medicine the day before the killing.

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