Man with schizophrenia tried to abduct girl, four, at church service in West Bromwich
The defendant was found to be a risk to the public and himself
A man who tried to abduct a four-year-old child after a church service has been diagnosed with the mental illness schizophrenia, a court heard.
Police arrested Moses Zerabruk Berhe in connection with the incident, which happened at Holy Trinity Church in Burlington Road in West Bromwich, after staff called them to the place of worship on March 2 last year.
The 27-year-old appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday (November 12) to be sentenced for scooping up the child and attempting to leave the premises with her while in a “psychotic state”, to the horror of the church staff and her family.
Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, said: “The service came to an end and the congregation were having refreshments. Berhe jumped up and put one hand under her legs and one hand round her back and sat down with her on his lap.
“The child’s mother had gone to make herself a cup of tea and when she looked towards the back row she saw her daughter sitting with him.
“She did not know him and saw him with his arms around the child and feeding her cake. The mother was understandably alarmed and called her daughter’s name, but the defendant held on to her daughter and continued to feed her. Others present started to notice his behaviour including the assistant pastor who walked over to the defendant and told the child to follow her.
“However, the defendant replied ‘no’. The pastor then told him to let her go and again he refused. She tried to grab the child, but the defendant tightened his grip and tried to pull away.
“He got up to walk out of the church with the girl in his arms. By now, the child was screaming and crying.
“The defendant was physically restrained by others and he eventually released his grip. When the girl was returned to her mother, the lady fainted which caused the child to become even more distressed.”
The court heard that the church’s assistant pastor with responsibility for women and young people Helen Morrow then took the family to a room and all locked themselves inside to allow the family to regain their composure, while the police were being called to the scene.
Berhe, who attended the hearing by video from a psychiatric unit, was placed into custody and subsequently charged with an offence of taking a child so as to keep her from a person having lawful control. He pleaded guilty to the offence at a previous hearing.
Judge Laura Hobson said she would follow the recommendations of reports which stated that Berhe, who was assisted by an Ahmaric translator, should be detained under sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act due to his limited insight about his illness, his need for medication, emerging prominent negative symptoms, his lack of motivation, empathy and evidence of social withdrawal.
The court also heard that he was at significant risk of relapse, harming others and himself unless he was detained.
Mitigating barrister Ash Ahmed said Berhe was happy to accept the terms of any restraining order under the circumstances of the case.
Judge Hobson told the defendant: “We know that you would not have acted that way if you were not mentally unwell.
“Your illness is of such severity that it is necessary for you to be detained in hospital for treatment.”
Berhe was also made subject to a restraining order for five years meaning that he must not contact the child or her family in any way or attend Holy Trinity.
If he breaches the order he may be jailed for five years.
The judge added that the restrictions under section 41 of the act were necessary to protect the public from serious harm. She also said a mental health tribunal would determine when the defendant would be released.
Ahmaric is the official language used in Ethiopia.