A woman who told police she was “Jesus sent to eliminate evil from the world” after killing her 72-year-old landlord and his cat has been detained indefinitely in a secure psychiatric hospital following a harrowing Old Bailey hearing.
Habiba Naveed, 35, admitted the manslaughter of lawyer Christopher Brown at their shared home in Lewisham, south-east London, on 14 August 2024, after initially denying murder. She also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to his cat Snow by stabbing it in the neck.
Judge Sarah Munro KC imposed a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act alongside a restriction order under Section 41, meaning Naveed can be detained indefinitely at Thursday’s hearing.
The court heard chilling details of how Naveed, who has paranoid schizophrenia, told her brother she was Jesus after the attack and later informed police: “The devil attacked me last night and I won.
Brutal Attack Details Revealed
Prosecutor Kerry Broome told the court that Naveed attacked Mr Brown between 11pm and 11.50pm on 14 August, hitting him “a number of times to the head with a saucepan which broke in the process. She then sat on him, breaking his ribs, before strangling him.
“She believed the evil spirit had jumped out of the deceased and into the cat. She got a knife and she cut the cat’s neck,” Ms Broome said, describing how Naveed left a bloodied knife nearby after killing Snow.
Mr Brown’s body was discovered under a dressing gown in the living room by a lodger, Mr Rizwan, when he returned to the house at 2.15am on 15 August. A post-mortem examination confirmed he died from blunt-force trauma.
Delusions and Mental Health Crisis
The court heard Naveed believed she had connections to the royal family and was the daughter of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed. She told police she “slept in coffins” and that Jesus had raised her from the dead.
In a previous account of the attack, Naveed claimed she had seen Mr Brown kill his mother and that he was evil. She heard a voice telling her to kill him three times,” the prosecutor revealed.
Judge Munro noted that Naveed had been off her prescribed medication for a year at the time of the killing and was a frequent cannabis user, which exacerbated her symptoms but did not cause her psychosis.
Family’s Desperate Attempts to Get Help
In the days leading up to the fatal attack, Naveed’s family were so concerned about her deteriorating mental health that they called 111 and requested an ambulance. Despite these warning signs, the tragedy could not be prevented.
The court heard that Naveed repeatedly became aggressive during previous hospital admissions and had “no insight” into her mental health, diagnosis or symptoms, according to two psychiatrists who agreed on her paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis.
Property Manipulation and Living Arrangements
The pair had lived together at the Polsted Road property for several years. During this time, Mr Brown was persuaded to put the house, which he had inherited from his parents, in both his and Naveed’s names, the court was told.
Naveed had orchestrated the refurbishment of the property and the taking in of lodgers, suggesting a complex relationship between the victim and his killer that extended beyond a typical landlord-tenant arrangement.
Victim Remembered as ‘Kind Man’
In a tearful statement to the court, an unnamed colleague from Mr Brown’s law firm said the victim would have helped anyone if he could, adding that Naveed had taken away any “future memories”.
He wasn’t just a 72-year-old man tragically killed by his housemate, he was a solicitor, a boss, a partner, a kind man,” she said.
Mr Brown’s cousin described him as a “kind and caring person” who would go out of his way to help his family and clients, highlighting the loss felt by those who knew him.
Conscious Actions Despite Psychosis
Judge Munro told Naveed: “The consultant forensic psychiatrist was of the view that the injuries fitted your account which shows that you were conscious of exactly what you were doing as you killed Chris.”
The judge acknowledged mitigating factors including Naveed’s lack of serious previous offending and her mental illness, but noted aggravating factors included her use of strangulation and a weapon.
Mental Health and Violence Statistics
According to mental health experts, while people with schizophrenia are at a slightly higher risk of violent behaviour than the general population, the overall risk remains low. Oxford University research shows less than 1 in 20 women and less than 1 in 4 men with schizophrenia are arrested for violent crimes over a 35-year period.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists emphasises that most people with schizophrenia are never violent and do not display dangerous behaviour. However, a small number may become violent when experiencing acute psychotic symptoms due to hallucinations and delusions.
System Under Scrutiny
The case raises questions about mental health service provision in the UK, where only 31.3% of people with psychosis receive specialist mental health care, according to World Health Organisation data. Mind charity statistics show that psychotic disorders affect fewer than 1 in 100 people in any given year.
Naveed attended the hearing via video-link and only spoke to confirm her identity. Her indefinite detention means she will remain in a secure psychiatric hospital until medical professionals and the Ministry of Justice determine she no longer poses a risk to herself or others.
The Metropolitan Police investigation into this tragic case has concluded with Naveed’s sentencing, but the impact on Mr Brown’s family, friends and colleagues will undoubtedly continue for years to come.
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