Lee-on-the-Solent man found not guilty on grounds of insanity of attempted murder of his mother and stepfather

James Wells, 43, was working as a project manager at London’s Nightingale hospital at the ExCel centre at the time of the incident.

He stood trial at Bristol Crown Court accused of attacking his mother Linda Holford, 70, and her husband Adrian Holford, 75, at their home on March 30 last year.

Jurors heard Wells had become stressed at work and was driven to the couple’s home in Shalbourne, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, by a colleague.

He was said to have used fireplace tools at the detached property, as well as a pewter tankard, to bludgeon the couple hours after arriving.

Wells pleaded not guilty to two charges of attempted murder and a charge of assaulting a police officer by reason of insanity.

After over five hours of deliberation the jury have today (February 8) found him not guilty of the charges on grounds of insanity.

Speaking to the jury Mrs Justice Stacey said: ‘There is no sentence because Mr Wells is not guilty of a criminal offence because, as you have decided, he was insane at the time.

‘This has been a particularly harrowing case which all of us must have been affected by. You have heard this very, very sad story this past week.

‘I really want to thank you on behalf of everyone at Bristol Crown Court for doing what was such a difficult and harrowing case.’

With Wells currently receiving treatment for his mental health issues at a secure hospital in Hampshire, Mrs Justice Stacey now needs to decide on what measures to impose in order to ‘protect the public from any risk of serious harm’.

This could include a hospital order being placed on Wells in order for him to receive appropriate treatment. Before this decision is made further medical evidence is due to be heard in a subsequent hearing in March.

The judge added: ‘This trial and this exercise has been about you deciding and reaching your verdicts and concluding that Mr Wells is not guilty by reason of insanity for these three terrible acts.

‘Now the opportunity will come for Mr Wells and his family to rehabilitate and recover from this awful, awful episode.’

SEE ALSO: Police charge Hampshire man, 51, after attempted abduction of toddler from pushchair

On March 30 Wells told an occupational health nurse he had not slept for four days and believed he was having a breakdown.

He was taken to his mother and stepfather’s house where he went for a walk with his mother, ate dinner and then went to bed before re-emerging with a case at about 7pm.

The jury then heard how Wells then ‘went absolutely berserk’ and attacked the couple.

Police and paramedics attended the property at about 7.50pm and a Taser was used on Wells, who was then arrested.

Before the attack the court heard how the couple had a ‘wonderful’ relationship with Wells, who was married with two children, before the incident.

He was never interviewed by police about what happened, following psychiatric assessments, jurors were told.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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