John Barrett
13 April 2012

A paranoid schizophrenic was today jailed for life for killing a former banker in a vicious knife attack

John Barrett repeatedly stabbed 50-year-old Denis Finnegan with a kitchen knife after ambushing him as he cycled through Richmond Park in south west London.

At the Old Bailey today, Judge Anthony Scott-Gall told Barrett he would have to serve at least 15-and-a-half years before he would be considered for release on licence.

Barrett, 41, was taken from the court to Broadmoor secure hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.

Judge Scott-Gall told Barrett: "This was a planned and unprovoked attack on a completely innocent member of the public, a family man who was a complete stranger to you chosen at random.
"You had forearmed yourself with a knife with a 12in blade which you had purchased the day before.
"Having taken a taxi to Richmond Park you started searching for somebody to kill.

"Tragically Mr Finnegan was cycling by and he was selected by you as a target, having met the criteria you had set yourself.

"You ambushed him and viciously stabbed him a number of times in the back and chest and then calmly walked off."

The court had earlier heard an account of Mr Finnegan's dying words at the time he was attacked by Barrett on September 2 last year.

Prosecuting, Crispin Aylett said: "He (Barrett) lunged at him and stabbed him in the back and stabbed him twice more.

"Mr Finnegan asked him: 'What have I done?" Then the defendant walked away and he wondered to himself whether he had killed him or not."

Mr Finnegan's brother John said outside court: "It is the best result.

"It's disturbing to hear that three or four psychiatrists condemned his care. We knew there were gaps but not the enormity of it."

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