Bus Stabbing Death: Man Admits Manslaughter

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A psychiatric patient who stabbed a teenager to death on a bus has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Christina Edkins, 16, was on her way to school during the morning rush hour when she was killed in the "random attack" on Birmingham's Hagley Road.

Phillip Simelane, 23, who has a history of mental illness, entered the plea at Birmingham Crown Court.

He had been released unsupervised from prison despite warning signs over the state of his mental health and questions are being asked about how authorities dealt with his case.

Christina's family arrive at Birmingham Crown Court

Superintendent Richard Baker from West Midlands Police, said: "Because of the mental health issues we now know he was suffering, this attack probably could have occurred anywhere, against anyone."

Simelane, who was homeless, boarded the number 9 bus at 5am on March 7. He had been challenged by the driver for sleeping on the back seat on the top deck.

Christina got on the bus at 7.30am on the city's Broad Street, a journey she made every day. Seven minutes later, she was dead.

Jason Edkins, Christina's father

Without warning, and for no reason, Simelane got up and thrust a kitchen knife into her chest once. He then casually walked down the aisle, down the stairs, and briefly spoke to the driver before getting off.

There was just one other passenger upstairs, a 14-year-old boy, who only realised what had happened when Christina cried out for help. Downstairs passengers rushed to her aid, but she could not be saved.

Officers scoured the city centre for Simelane and arrested him more than four hours later.

A family statement issued after the guilty plea said: "Christina was a beautiful, bright, caring girl, loved by everyone.

"The loss of a child is the worst thing that can ever happen, made even more grievous be such a senseless crime as this.

Christina was preparing to take her GCSEs when she died

"The family are all the victims and must pay the penalty as we stand by helplessly and watch the lives of the people we love shattered like precious glass, knowing we can never put the fragile pieces back together."

Christina's great uncle, Chris Melia, told Sky News: "It's such a horrific senseless crime. I don't know how you come to terms with it. I haven't."

"He quite clearly shouldn't have been out in society, there had been enough warning signs that he was a danger.

"As I understand it, in October, whilst he was in prison, the appropriate mental health experts noted he should, when he was released, be in some way supervised and helped to get back into society in an acceptable manner, but it didn't happen.

"He was released on 13th December, basically with no fixed abode, and in less than three months he killed an innocent young girl in the prime of her life."

Mr Melia paid tribute to Christina as a "popular", "attractive" and "quietly confident" girl.

"The family want to be sure that this person is put away, removed from society permanently, so that he cannot repeat this crime or any similar crime," he said.

Police say Simelane was known to have mental health problems from the age of 14, but was only diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia following his arrest for the attack on Christina.

He had previous convictions for assault, drugs offences and vehicle crime.

West Midlands Police say they were called to Simelane's home in Walsall by his family 21 times. On one occasion he held a knife to his mother's stomach.

Supt Baker said: "There doesn't appear to be any care plan since his release from prison in December 2012.

"There's currently an independent review being conducted by all agencies who had contact with Phillip Simelane during that period, not just police but probation, prison, and Birmingham and Solihull mental health team will also conduct independent reviews to understand exactly what support Simelane had in place."

He added it was likely Simelane would be given an indeterminate hospital order and it would be "highly unlikely" that he would ever be released.

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