Schizophrenic slit throat of ‘white witch’ step-gran
AMAN with paranoid schizophrenia slit his stepgrandmother’s throat with a large hunting knife because he believed she was a witch, a court heard.
Jonathan Griffiths, 23, who is in Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after killing 59-year-old Janice Griffiths (also known as Rose) who had raised him since he was a baby.
Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Eleri Rees said: “It is shocking and tragic that she should die at the hands of someone she did so much for during her life.”
The court heard the incident occurred at their home at Ty Rhiw in Taffs Well, near Cardiff, on June 12 last year.
Michael Jones QC, prosecuting, said Mrs Griffiths was the defendant’s legal guardian.
The court heard Griffiths developed “significant mental health issues”, experiencing hallucinations and delusional perceptions.
Prosecutors said in the days before the incident witnesses noted he was “agitated” and “muttering” quotes from the Bible.
Mr Jones said carpet fitter Dennis Martin Jones arrived at around 10.15am on June 12 and Griffiths’ behaviour made him feel “uneasy”.
He started work and heard Mrs Griffiths shout: “Help, he’s attacking me. He’s got a knife.”
The court heard the defendant was standing over his step-grandmother, who was on the sofa, with a large hunting knife.
Prosecutors said Mr Jones intervened with “considerable courage” by pulling him away.
Mr Jones told the court that the victim said: “Ring 999, he slit my throat.”
The witness described “a lot of blood” and said: “I was not able to believe what I saw next.”
He said Griffiths then twisted the victim’s head, as if he was trying to break her neck.
The court heard the defendant asked Mr Jones: “Is she dead yet?”
Prosecutors said the air ambulance arrived and paramedics found a “very deep” stab wound to the left side of her neck, along with defence-type injuries on her hands.
Mrs Griffiths was taken straight to the operating theatre at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. A scan showed she had suffered a “devastating brain injury” and she was pronounced dead the following day.
Pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbetter found the cause of death to be sharp-force injury to the neck.
Prosecutors said the weapon was a hunting-style knife with an 18.7cm-long blade.
Griffiths was arrested at the junction between Cardiff Road and Cemetery Road. Asked if he had any weapons, he replied: “No, I left it in the house.”
He added: “I went back to rip her head off.”
The defendant was taken into custody in Merthyr Tydfil and then detained at the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend. He was judged unfit for police interview.
He told staff there: “She prophecised. That is why I had to do it. She is a white witch.”
Griffiths was taken to Ashworth Hospital and judged fit for interview on August 24, when he answered “no comment”.
Experts concluded there was diminished responsibility and the Crown accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter, with the charge of murder to lie on file.
The court heard Griffiths was convinced at the time that his step-grandmother was a witch.
In a victim impact statement read out in court on behalf of the family, Nikki Hayman said: “Janice was a selfless person.”
Neighbour Yvonne Woodward, who witnessed the incident and has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, said: “Nothing prepared me for the horror.”
Carpet fitter Mr Jones said: “It felt like I was in a horror movie.”
Giving evidence in court, Dr Inti Qurashi said: “He firmly believed that the victim was a witch.”
Judge Rees noted three experts agreed there was diminished responsibility.
She told the defendant: “[Mrs Griffiths] was your step-grandmother. Throughout your life she had been enormously nurturing and supportive of you.”
The judge noted Griffiths had been suffering from “extremely poor” mental health for a decade.
She made a hospital order and a restriction order. The restriction order will apply for the rest of his life. An order was made for the knife to be destroyed.
Janice Griffiths’ family said: “It has been an extremely upsetting time. The murder of our Rose has caused so much pain.”