Mentally-ill man who killed woman with an axe given second life order after threatening to blow up his flat

Back in 2009 James Callaghan, who is believed to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, was made the subject of a similar hospital after he admitted offences of manslaughter and wounding when he killed a 65-year-old grandmother with an axe in Hull, but he was later released back into the community.

In February last year, two police officers went to his first floor flat in New Line, Greengates, Bradford, but he refused to let them in and barricaded the door.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett told Bradford Crown Court how the stand-off, which began just after 7am, would last for several hours and resulted in the evacuation of elderly and vulnerable local residents and the closure of a main road between Bradford and Leeds.

She said Callaghan, 31, told one police officer that they would need armed police or even the SAS to get him out of the flat and he made threats to shoot officers. Callaghan shouted from a window that he would blow the property up and threatened to pull the boiler off the wall and ignite the gas supply. During the stand-off Callaghan claimed to have a revolver and a sawn-off shotgun and said he knew how to make a bomb.

Within an hour firearms officers were on the scene and about 20-25 local residents, including a 98-year-old man suffering from cancer, had to be evacuated from their homes. At one stage Callaghan began playing loud music and a trained negotiator was brought in to take over contact with him.

Mrs Beckett said hours of negotiation followed, but eventually at about 3pm smoke and flames could be see coming Callaghan’s flat after he deliberately set light to two sofas and he was eventually rescued by ladder from a window ledge.

Callaghan, who is currently being treated at Lynfield Mount Hospital, admitted offences of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, causing a public nuisance and criminal damage. Judge Jonathan Rose imposed another hospital order under the Mental Health Act and Callaghan will not be released until it is considered safe to do so.

He said when Callaghan chose not to take his medication his mental health had declined very significantly and that had culminated in the events in February last year. The court heard that Callaghan’s mental condition had improved while he was at Lynfield Mount and he was sorry for what he had done.

Judge Rose imposed the new hospital order after hearing evidence from a consultant forensic psychiatrist who confirmed that Callaghan was likely to have a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and was being treated with anti-psychotic and anti-depressants medication.