Nurse's killer sent to Broadmoor

Mamade Chattun died of multiple injuries in the attack

A schizophrenic man who beat a nurse to death in a London psychiatric hospital has been ordered to be sent to Broadmoor Hospital indefinitely.

Mamade Chattun, 43, was beaten to death by Jason Cann, 22, in the lobby of Tooting's Springfield Hospital, in June 2003.

Cann was convicted of Mr Chattun's manslaughter, after denying a charge of murder which was later dropped.

Cann is currently being treated at Broadmoor for schizophrenia.

Mr Chattun's relatives wept during the court hearing as Judge Giles Forrester offered them his "sincere condolences".

Refused medication

He told Cann: "The jury have convicted you on the plainest evidence of unlawfully killing a nurse who was there to look after you in hospital."

He said it was necessary for Cann to be detained without a time limit "for the undoubted protection of the public".

Cann had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act the day before the killing on 17 June 2003, and had seen by social worker and doctors at Springfield Hospital, the court had heard.

When he was told the following day he was to be detained, he grabbed his social worker by the neck and said: "I will rip your throat".

This was an appalling and unprecedented event. We have done - and continue to do - everything in our power to prevent anything like this happening again South London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust's Dr Nigel Fisher

He later refused to take his medication and sang out continually; "I want to go home," prosecutor Richard Whittam told the court.

Mr Chattun had been told not to deal with the patient on his own, but was the sole nurse left with Cann.

When a staff member went to check on him, he found Mr Chattun in a pool of blood. He had severe injuries to his head, his body, breast bone, ribs and bowel, and a severed ear.

The South London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has ordered two separate inquiries over Mr Chattun's death.

Trust chief executive Dr Nigel Fisher said tonight: "This was an appalling and unprecedented event. We have done - and continue to do - everything in our power to prevent anything like this happening again.

"Although no one could have predicted the ferocity of the assault we know we must provide our staff and patients with the safest possible environment."

A separate external inquiry is to be undertaken by the Healthcare Commission, commissioned by the Trust and the South West London Strategic Health Authority.