Beatles attacker says sorry

Michael Abram has written to Harrison

The man who tried to kill former Beatle George Harrison has written a poignant letter seeking the star's forgiveness.

In the letter, addressed to the Crown Prosecution Service, Michael Abram, 34, offered his 'sincere apologies' for the knife attack which almost killed Mr Harrison on the day before New Year's Eve last year.

The letter states: "I'm writing this in the hope that it will be passed on to Mr and Mrs Harrison.

"I wish to say how sorry I am for the alarm, distress and injury that I have caused when I was ill."

I do not believe that it was all my fault as I was very ill at the time

Michael Abram

Abram was found not guilty on Wednesday on the grounds of insanity of two counts of attempted murder against Mr Harrison and his wife.

A jury at Oxford Crown Court was told Mr Abram was a paranoid schizophrenic, who thought Harrison had possessed him and that all the Beatles were witches.

Judge Mr Justice Astill ordered that Abram being held in a mental hospital "without time restriction".

Abram believed Harrison had possessed him

Abram said he could not be held solely responsible for the attack, which occurred at Mr Harrison's mansion in Henley-on-Thames, and he blamed doctors for misdiagnosing his mental illness.

I've never been told that I was suffering with schizophrenia or any mental illness.

"I though my delusions were real and that everything that I was experiencing was some kind of witchcraft.

"I do not believe that it was all my fault as I was very ill at the time."

The letter was revealed by the defendant's solicitor Peter Edwards.