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Schizophrenic sentenced for screwdriver stabbing

Mentally ill Shiloh Payne has been sent to a mental hospital for an indefinite period after stabbing his neighbour and trying to smash his head with a rock.Photo by Mark Tatem.

A schizophrenic has been sentenced to a hospital order after stabbing his neighbour with a screwdriver and trying to smash him in the head with a concrete block.Supreme Court heard that the "very dangerous" Shiloh Payne launched an unprovoked attack on Randy Thompson after failing to take his medication and developing hallucinations and delusions.Mr Thompson suffered life-threatening multiple stab wounds in the incident which took place in broad daylight on a Sandys street on March 26. Mr Thompson was rescued by a neighbour who intervened in the attack. Mr Payne dropped the screwdriver and ran away from police, despite being sprayed with incapacitant spray, sparking a manhunt.He was arrested in the early hours of the following day when police found him hiding in the attic at his nearby family home.He was taken to the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute for treatment and later charged with causing Mr Thompson grievous bodily harm and possessing a sharp pointed article.Mr Payne admitted to the charges last September. Today, prosecutor Nicole Smith and defence lawyer Richard Horseman both agreed that he should be treated in MAWI rather than sent to prison. They quoted from reports from two psychiatrists outlining Mr Payne's condition.Sentencing him to an “indefinite” hospital order under the Mental Health Act, Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves said: “This court finds and accepts this defendant is indeed suffering from a mental illness, in particular schizophrenia.“Under the circumstances of this case, the court finds and accepts that this defendant is indeed a very dangerous person when it comes to the security of members of the community. I think there's a real likelihood that he's likely to commit similar offences of this sort unless he's taken under the care of a mental institution and receives regular treatment.”