'Vampire' murderer dies in jail

Allan Menzies was jailed for a minimum of 18 years

A man who claimed he committed murder after being visited by a vampire has been found dead in prison.

Alan Menzies, 23, was discovered at 0750 GMT in Shotts Prison, where he was serving a life sentence of at least 18 years for murdering Thomas McKendrick.

Menzies, from Fauldhouse, West Lothian, claimed he had been visited by the female vampire Akasha, a character from the film Queen of the Damned.

He bludgeoned his friend to death and drank some of his blood.

The Scottish Prison Service said police and Menzies' relatives had been informed and the death was being investigated.

Menzies' trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in October 2003 heard that he had watched the film more than 100 times.

Akasha, the vampire in Queen of the Damned

He believed he was told he would be rewarded with immortality and would become a vampire in the next life if he carried out a murder.

Menzies said he had carried out the attack on Mr McKendrick after his friend insulted his vampire heroine, played by the late US singer Aaliyah.

After setting about him with knives and a hammer, he drank some of his victim's blood and ate some of his flesh.

Menzies had offered to plead guilty to culpable homicide on the grounds of diminished responsibility but this was rejected by the Crown.

The judge described him as an "evil, violent and highly dangerous man who is not fit to be at liberty".