A Scots father who was stabbed to death in front of his family after taking in a man with mental health difficulties has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.
Graham Janes, 50, of Chard, Somerset, fatally attacked Colin Lawson at his home in South Petherton, Somerset, on August 22 last year. Colin, 43, originally from Edinburgh, suffered multiple injuries including stab wounds and died at the scene despite the efforts of police and paramedics.
Attack and Sentencing
Janes had been allowed to stay at the family home by Colin, who had severely impaired vision, to support him through a period of ill health. During the attack, Dominic Redding, whose mother Josephine was in a relationship with Colin, suffered an injury to his arm when he tried to intervene.
Janes was initially charged with murder, but after an assessment by consultant forensic psychiatrists, it was agreed that his state of mental health substantially contributed to his actions. At Bristol Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility and actual bodily harm and was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.
Family Tributes
Father-of-two Colin had lived in Edinburgh before moving to South Petherton, where he helped his family run an online jewellery business. Josephine Redding read a statement in court outlining the impact of his death.
She said: "I first met Colin in 2011, but we reconnected in 2020. We spent the next five years together, and they were the happiest years of my life. Colin was kind, loving, intelligent and caring. He always put other people before himself and had a way of making everyone feel valued, supported and safe. He was my partner, my best friend and the person I trusted more than anyone else. Losing Colin has broken my heart."
Dominic Redding also spoke of his grief, saying: "Colin was the only real father figure I have ever had in my life. He made me feel safe, and I knew I could talk to him about anything. The hardest thing for me is knowing that I can never talk to Colin again. I miss him every single day."
Police Response
Detective Constable Stephanie Craig, the investigating officer from Avon and Somerset Police, said: "This has been an extremely sad and distressing case, but what has been incredibly clear since the beginning, is that Colin was loved deeply by his family who miss him terribly." She added that Colin did everything he could in his final moments to keep his loved ones safe, and commended the courage of Dominic Redding, who was injured while intervening.
