Schizophrenic man detained in mental health unit after snatching baby in Dagenham
A paranoid schizophrenic who snatched a three-month-old baby and ran with him for half a mile was locked up in a mental health hospital.
Qemal Buzhiqi, 25, heard voices in his head telling him to wrench the infant from the arms of the carer Lauren Oliver.
He approached her outside Parsloes Park in Becontree, Essex, on April 28, 2011, and made friendly conversation before grabbing the child.
He then fled for nearly half a mile pursued by members of the public before stopping and handing the baby back.
The child, who cannot be named, suffered bruising in the incident, but escaped more serious harm. Buzhiqi was arrested and sent for treatment at Goodmayes Hospital, where he told doctors voices in his head had ordered him to snatch the child.
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After discharging himself from hospital in November 2011, he tried to cut his own hand off in a public toilet.
He was then transferred to the medium secure John Howard Centre in Hackney, east London, where he has attacked female nurses.
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The paranoid schizophrenic, who was found not guilty of abduction by reason of insanity at trial last month, will be detained in a mental health unit until doctors deem him fit to leave.
At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday judge, Recorder Mohammed Khamisa ordered that Buzhiqi should be detained in the secure unit ‘without limit of time’.
He will only be released when he no longer poses a risk to the public.
Buzhiqi, whose address was given as the John Howard Centre, in Homerton, Hackney, was found not guilty by reason of insanity of a single charge of child abduction.
