Knifeman 'possessed by demons' cleared of attempted murder

Tommy Smith - a paranoid schizophrenic - launched the onslaught on Peter Churm with such force the eight inch weapon broke in two.

Yesterday, Smith, aged 18, was cleared of attempted murder at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

He was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and burglary and remanded to a secure psychiatric hospital for pre sentence reports until a date still to be fixed.

The victim - blind in one eye and hard of hearing after a stroke - was repeatedly knifed after refusing to hand over the keys to his son's Range Rover that Smith aimed to steal, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The family of Mr Churm, who was attacked outside his home in Owen Street, Dudley on February 24 last year, said in a statement: "He is retired and entitled to enjoy his twilight years in peace but this cowardly attack has had massive repercussions both on him and the family. It has changed our lives forever.

"Despite his life being saved by the skill of the medical staff he suffered huge physical and mental trauma which both he and us continue to come to terms with.

"He was attacked without provocation whilst peacefully going about his business at the home where he raised his family and had the right to feel safe.

"Tommy Smith has wreaked havoc upon us all with manifest savagery. We are thankful he is no longer free to inflict similar torment upon any other innocent member of the community and can now attempt to look to the future."

Smith, living in nearby Grove Street at the time, stabbed Mr Churm at least 10 times. One ear was split in two while the other had the lobe almost completely amputated. He was also stabbed in the chest, side, head, neck and forearm.

Most of the the injuries were received on the driveway but Mr Churm, now 66, managed to pick up a claw hammer and hit Smith as he followed him into the porch before fleeing. He later told psychiatrist Dr Jon Kennedy that he had seen a 'demon that came out of him' at the time of the offence.

It was accepted by the defence that Smith was the knifeman but he denied all charges claiming he did not know what he was doing.