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  • "Their are a lot of prisoners in prison suffering mental illness. A lot get diagnosed whilst inside on last nights lifers program on channel 4 was a man with asbergers diagnosed whilst inside who killed a woman. Their are better opportunities to treat people with mental illness inside has they have to attend appointments and take medication. Surely this mans mental state would've been assessed prior to sentencing."
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Man who strangled his granddaughter is freed

11:40am Tuesday 26th June 2012 in News

Man who strangled his granddaughter is freed Man who strangled his granddaughter is freed

A grandfather who throttled his granddaughter on the pretext that he was giving her a necklace has been released from prison by a judge.

Michael Brookes dumped the unconscious body of 18-year-old Jodie Oliver in his garden shed in Wey Place, Droitwich, Worcester Crown Court was told.

It was some hours before her grandmother returned from a car boot sale and Jodie was able to get out.

When he appeared before Worcester magistrates in March, Michael Brookes, aged 62, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and false imprisonment.

He had been in custody for 101 days since he was arrested.

Making a three-year community order Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins said Brookes needed help rather than punishment.

It was essential that he was supervised by the probation service and took all the medication prescribed for him.

Tim Harrington, prosecuting, said Jodie Oliver had been visiting her grandfather.

He said he had a necklace for her but when he was putting it round her neck, he began strangling her with such force that she was unconscious for several hours.

“There was no premeditation or provocation,” he said. “He was possibly suffering from some mental illness or depression.”

Miss Oliver was sick and suffered the classic signs of strangulation – marks on her neck, two black eyes and bloodshot eyeballs.

When Mrs Brookes returned, her husband said he had taken an overdose of his tablets and was lying in a field but he was back in the house by the evening. When arrested, he said nothing on a solicitor’s advice but commented: “I know I have been stupid.”

Mr Harrington said Miss Oliver had been upset and confused and was concerned about her relationship with the family.

Kevin Farquason, defending, said Brookes was suffering from depression but was not on medication at the time. He was now being treated. He felt remorse and disbelief over his actions.

The judge described it as “a most unusual case”. In 2001, Brookes’s daughter was killed in a road accident and he had also been made bankrupt.

He became subject to depression and this appeared to be the root cause for his actions.

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