St Mellons: Garvey Gayle detained for his dad's manslaughter

Michael Gayle died at the scene of the assault in St Mellons

A man has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act for killing his dad and stabbing his mum.

Garvey Gayle, 23, admitted the manslaughter of Michael Gayle and the attempted murder of Amanda Brookes.

Father-of-four Michael Gayle, 54, died at the family home in the St Mellons area of Cardiff in October 2020.

His daughter said a life should not have been lost "for somebody to get the help they need."

Garvey Gayle was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday.

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The court heard Gayle got into a rage while staying at his mother's house on Cypress Crescent and picked up a knife which had been hidden from him on the top of the fridge.

When paramedics arrived they "desperately tried" to save his father who had been stabbed "multiple times", but he was pronounced dead at the scene, the court heard.

Garvey Gayle, pictured here as a child with his father Michael, has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act

Gayle's mother Amanda Brookes was also stabbed in the arm, stomach and side, but survived.

The court heard Gayle, who at a previous hearing pleaded guilty to manslaughter with diminished responsibility of Mr Gayle and the attempted murder of Ms Brookes, was suffering from schizophrenia.

His sister Marysia Gayle said it was a "tough day" to see her brother sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

"But some peace can be taken knowing that he will finally get the help he has needed for a long, long time," she said.

"Losing our dad, and mum losing her partner under these unimaginable circumstances has been physically and mentally unbearable," she added.

But Ms Gayle said the three years leading up to the tragic incident, when the family tried in vain to get help for Gayle, were also harrowing.

"Is that how every case going forward is going to be treated?" she asked. "That until a mentally unwell person does something so dramatic they're not going to get the help they need?

"That's not OK."

'It doesn't seem real. It was a horror movie'

A victim impact statement read by two of Gayle's sisters described their father as a "gentle, loving man".

It added: "The last two years were like watching a film, it doesn't seem real. It was a horror movie we have all been forced to live through.

"Us losing our dad and our mum losing her partner in these circumstances has been physically and mentally unbearable.

"I no longer have the ears of the wisest man I knew. It's unimaginable and our family will never be the same."

"We as a family did everything we could as a family to help Garvey. It should never have come to this, it should never have taken our dad to die for our brother to get help. Lessons must be learnt."

A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: "Our thoughts remain with the family at this incredibly difficult time.

"The case is being comprehensively investigated in line with the multi-agency review process. We are unable to comment any further at this time whilst the investigation is in progress."

Gayle will be detained at Caswell Clinic, Bridgend.