Man given hospital order after fatal stabbing in Newham home

A man who forced his way into a 20-year-old’s family home and stabbed him in front of his relatives has been given a hospital order.

Menelik Campbell, 22, of Dalston Lane in Hackney previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Elliot Francique in his Newham family home. 

Campbell, who was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced at the Old Bailey yesterday (July 5) under section 37 MHA 1983, with a section 41 restriction of indeterminate length.

He was charged with Elliot’s murder on April 28, 2022.

Elliott’s family said: “For this to happen in the family home, where we lived and loved each other, made our suffering almost unbearable.

“The actions of the person that took Elliot from us has in short devastated each and every member of our family and inflicted pain and suffering that will last for the rest of our lives.”

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The court heard how at about 3.20pm on April 19, 2022, Elliot was at his Plaistow home with family when the doorbell rang.

On opening a man burst in wearing all black and a balaclava, shouting “where’s Elliot?”

He pushed past and made his way upstairs where the sounds of a disturbance could be heard, before running down the stairs and leaving the house.

Elliot was found to be bleeding profusely, especially around his neck.

Officers and paramedics attended but Elliot was pronounced dead at the scene.

A subsequent post mortem found he had suffered eleven stab wounds and four cutting wounds to his body.

The cause of death was as a result of blood loss.

After viewing hours of CCTV, officers were able to track the suspect back to a training course in Stratford.

The officers obtained a clear facial shot of the suspect that showed him getting on a bus to go back to his home address.

This journey was linked to Campbell, as he paid for it using his phone and this was linked to his own personal account.

Campbell was arrested at his home address on April 27 and a phone was found in his pocket.

This was Campbell’s phone and cell site analysis showed that it had been with him when he murdered Elliot.

The phone also showed searches on April 26, 2022 for “crime in Stratford London” and on April 27, 2022 for “lowest possible sentence for murder”.

There were also numerous searches for knives including samurai sword and Rambo knife.

On his arrest Campbell did not answer any questions.

He appeared at court the next day and was remanded in custody.

In prison he was seen by mental health experts, who agreed that at the time of the killing Campbell was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, and that he was psychotic and hearing voices that commanded him what to do.

As a result, on April 4 this year Campbell entered his plea of guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and this plea was accepted.

Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen, Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “This has been a horrendous ordeal for Elliot’s family.

“It is hard to imagine this family’s pain and anguish and my thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to them all.”