Teenager suffered delusions people were robots as she killed young girl

A 16-YEAR-OLD girl who smothered a seven-year-old girl and slashed at her body with a Stanley knife was suffering from delusional beliefs about people around her not being human, a judge has been told.

The teenager who killed Katie Rough in York in January may have been trying to prove the youngster was not a robot, as she had “irrational beliefs” about how people “may not be human and may be controlled by a higher and hostile force”, a court heard.

Katie was found with severe lacerations to her neck and chest on a playing field and did not respond to frantic attempt to revive her.

But a judge at Leeds Crown Court heard how she actually died from being smothered by the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Katie Rough died from being smothered.

The 16-year-old was standing in a nearby cul-de-sac, covered in blood and carrying the blood-stained knife as she rang 999 to tell police what she had done.

The defendant appeared by video link, where she denied murder but pled guilty to manslaughter by

diminished responsibility. This plea was accepted by the prosecution.

The judge, Mr Justice Soole, said he wanted more questions answered by the medical experts before he could pass sentence.

The case was adjourned until July 20. A VILLAGE chemist has been granted a licence to sell alcohol.

Councillors have approved an application by Pittenweem Pharmacy, in Fife, to sell beer and spirits.

The store, which serves a village of less than 2,000, already sells cigarettes.

Principal pharmacist Peter Tinkler argued that the dispensing section of the Pittenweem premises was separate from the post office, newsagent and off-sales at the Market Street shop. And he said changes in the way post offices are run meant the business had to diversify to stay afloat.

Local resident Atholl Reid highlighted the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Code of Ethics while objecting to Pittenweem Pharmacy’s application for a liquor