NEWS
David Smith prosecutes attempted murder of West-London family housekeeper.
David Smith prosecuted Maximillian Bourne at Southwark Crown Court this week for the attempted murder of Joselia Do Nascimento at The Old Courthouse, 9 Justice Way, Chelsea SW3, on 25th February 2024. Mr Bourne, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, stabbed the family housekeeper more than 15 times to the body, face and head. He then strangled Ms Nascimento, believing that she required to be purged of demons. He told psychiatrists that the Devil had acted through him. Ms Nascimento, who has been left permanently scarred, narrowly survived the attack by pretending to be dead. HHJ Gregory Perrins, having considered psychiatric evidence, concluded that Mr Bourne remained unfit to be tried almost a year after these events and a specially empaneled jury found that Mr Bourne did the act charged as the offence. Mr Bourne was given an indeterminate hospital order in a secure setting from which he cannot be discharged without the authority of the Secretary of State.
David Smith was instructed by Marleen Bouwer of The Crown Prosecution Service, London South.
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