Nicola Edgington guilty of Bexleyheath knife murder (From News Shopper)

Nicola Edgington guilty of Bexleyheath knife murder of Sally Hodkin

3:51pm Thursday 7th February 2013 in News By News reporter

Nicola Edgington.

A MENTAL health patient has been found guilty of a horrific Bexleyheath knife murder.

Nicola Edgington, 32, was convicted of murdering Sally Hodkin, 58, and attempting to murder then 22-year-old Kerry Clark in the town centre on the morning of October 10, 2011.

The unemployed Greenwich resident nearly decapitated Mrs Hodkin with a stolen meat cleaver and attacked Miss Clark with a kitchen knife bought from Asda despite having never met either before.

The jury of seven men and five women took six hours to come to their verdict after a month-long trial at the Old Bailey on Thursday (February 7).

Edgington begged police and mental health staff at the Bracton Centre in Dartford to section her during panicked early morning calls from A&E at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich on the day of the attacks.

In recordings played to the jury Edgington said: "You know the last time I was feeling like this I killed my mum.”

In 2006, she was ordered to be detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act for stabbing to death her mother Marion, 60, the previous year.

Edgington was released from the Bracton Centre in 2009 to live in Ambedkar House, Flavell Mews, Greenwich while being monitored by a doctor, nurse and social worker.

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She left QEH when waiting to be admitted to a mental health unit through a door which was meant to be locked at around 7am the morning of the murder before taking buses to Bexleyheath.

After Miss Clark managed to disarm her during an unprovoked attack, Edgington stole a knife from the British Meat Marget in Broadway and targeted Mrs Hodkin who was on her way to work as an accounts manager at a legal firm

Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, said: "She set upon her with the bigger knife, attacking her with such sustained force that her neck was cut completely open. She was overwhelmed.

She died almost immediately from the catastrophic injuries inflicted on her."

Edgington claimed she saw shop windows looking like they had suffered a nuclear holocaust and a 100-eyed monster that guarded the throne of God against his enemies in the days leading up to the attacks.

The murderer’s brother Tom Edgington told her to “do us all a favour and slit your wrists” in a Facebook message just days before the murder on September 28, 2011.

He added: “you stabbed Mum to death and left me to find her body”.

Edgington’s defence argued she was mentally ill with paranoid schizophrenia and her responsibility was diminished.

The prosecution said she was suffering from a borderline personality disorder and her actions were deliberate.

Edgington, whose face was hidden by her red hair during most of the hearing, was remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.

The verdict means she will be sentenced to life imprisonment and the judge will set a minimum term she must serve before she is released.

She may serve some of the sentence in a secure psychiatric hospital with the consent of the Justice Secretary.

Nicola Edgington - timeline of events

November 5 2005 – Edgington stabs her 60-year-old mother Marion to death at her semi-detached cottage in Forest Row, East Sussex.

October 23, 2006 – After pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at Lewes Crown Court, Edgington is detained indefinitely at a secure mental hospital.

September, 2009 – Edgington is released from the secure unit and moved into sheltered accommodation in Ambedkar House, Flavell Mews, Greenwich.

September 28, 2011 - A Facebook exchange with her brother Tom sees Edgington correspond with her sibling for the first time since the death of her mother in 2005. She says she is “missin mum bad” but her brother tells her to “do us all a favour and cut your wrists.”

October 10, 2011 -

4:45am – Edgington begs mental health staff at the Bracton Centre in Dartford for help in a telephone call from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Woolwich. She tells the nurse on the phone “I am a very dangerous schizophrenic. If you don’t help me I’m going to hurt someone.”

7:05am - She leaves the Oxleas Unit at QEH without warning and takes two buses to Bexleyheath.

8:15am – Edgington leaves the bus at Arnsberg Way. She goes to Asda and buys a 12-inch knife which she first tries to stab 22-year-old Kerry Clark with. Miss Clark fights off Edgington and disarms her. She then steals an 11-inch cutting knife from British Meat Market which she uses to almost decapitate 59-year-old Sally Hodkin, who was on her way to work.

January 8, 2013 – Edgington goes on trial at the Old Bailey charged with the murder of Sally Hodkin and the attempted murder of Kerry Clark.

February 7, 2013 – A jury finds Edgington guilty of murder and attempted murder.

Comments(31)

Oldchap says...
6:33pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Wonder what the sentence will be

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Mr Marley says...
7:43pm Thu 7 Feb 13

So she is "Edgington is detained indefinitely at a secure mental hospital."

But let out 3 years later!!!

This is shocking ! The blame lies on those who let her out!!

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Oldchap says...
8:39pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Meant "the judge will set a minimum term"

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saveusfromhell says...
2:57am Fri 8 Feb 13

http://www.avforums.
com/forums/general-c
hat/1527283-nicola-e
dgington-2.html

Read what Oxleas and their managers here

When are they going to be charged?

Report this post »

Marty1979 says...
6:19am Fri 8 Feb 13

They won't be charged - just resign (massive golden handshake) then go to another health authority at a vastly increased salary

Just like the ones at Stafford

Report this post »

Gypo.Joe says...
10:47am Fri 8 Feb 13

This poor lady pays the ultimate price for a load of liberal hand wringers incompetence. If you kill anyone you really need locking up for a lot more than 4 years. The publics safety comes first not some do gooder doctors/social workers experiments with the insane.

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the wall says...
11:20am Fri 8 Feb 13

Just watched the CCTV of Edgington running into a tile shop. It come across as she knows what she doing try to give the Police the slip.

Report this post »

franksutton says...
11:43am Fri 8 Feb 13

the wall wrote:
Just watched the CCTV of Edgington running into a tile shop. It come across as she knows what she doing try to give the Police the slip.

And obviously the jury realised that

Report this post »

BeckenhamCloud9 says...
1:14pm Fri 8 Feb 13

So she goes to another secure unit, "experts" decide she's better & release her under supervision of more "experts"

She goes out and kills someone else

But it's never the "experts" who suffer

Report this post »

lollie,erith says...
2:53pm Fri 8 Feb 13

i would take her behaviour running away and in tile shop as erratic behaviour as she did phone 999 to be taken into a secure unit. they diagnosed her with schizophrenia and now it suits them theyre saying shes misdiagnosed. the story just seems to suit them so the authorities can say shes a cold blooded killer and not mentally ill.

Report this post »

ksc says...
4:53pm Fri 8 Feb 13

"The verdict means she will be sentenced to life imprisonment and the judge will set a minimum term she must serve before she is released." So, will that minimum term be something around 6 months to a year, nothing but nothing would surprise me, so, for the love of all that is good PLEASE judge get it right this time, we are all getting a bit fed up of having to die when one of your lot get it wrong.

Report this post »

Downhamlad says...
4:55pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Obviously she is mentally ill - but why was she not looked after properly?

She even called to warn she might do something so why did the police & hospital staff not do something

They are as much to blame as she is

Report this post »

ksc says...
5:00pm Fri 8 Feb 13

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Downhamlad says...
5:24pm Fri 8 Feb 13

But even if the judge gives a minimum of 3 years (like the previous time) someone could decide she can be released

If she wasn't mentally ill she could spend 30 years inside as it was the second time she's killed someone

Report this post »

reasonable75 says...
6:00pm Fri 8 Feb 13

I'm sure someone will correct me - but I thought the judge is restricted in what he can sentence.

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Marty1979 says...
6:52pm Fri 8 Feb 13

Surely as she was found guilty of murder - not diminished responsibility - then it will be a lengthy sentence

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saveusfromhell says...
6:52pm Fri 8 Feb 13

http://www.newsshopp
er.co.uk/news/893845
7._Lack_of_care__bla
med_for__suicides__i
n_mental_health_unit
s/

Read a previous report about this trust. The trust is responsible for the death of several more. So many committed suicides.

In stafforshire so many died before they investigated the people who were running the hospital.

How many more to die before some proper investigation happens

http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
2274935/Former-direc
tor-nursing-70-staff
-accused-failings-St
afford-Hospital-scan
dal-CLEARED-wrongdoi
ng-secret-hearings.h
tml

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lollie,erith says...
7:59pm Fri 8 Feb 13

just heard on the news that oxleas trust has released 11 other patients who went on kill. its terrible but bet all those involved wont face trial and will keep their jobs.

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Marty1979 says...
10:32pm Fri 8 Feb 13

And chief executive tried to defend their record (bet he gets a pay rise) and said the deaths were in line with national average and due to other factors (drink & drugs)

But why we're they all let out

Report this post »

saveusfromhell says...
4:00am Sat 9 Feb 13

http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
2275138/Nicola-Edgin
gton-Schizophrenic-d
ecapitated-innocent-
grandmother-street-1
2in-butchers-knife-g
uilty-murder.html

The decision to discharge her was taken by a team led by Dr Janet Parrott, an eminent psychiatrist!!!

Edgington’s own family warned against her release. In March 2011, Edgington was allowed to stop her mood stabiliser drugs after she claimed she was pregnant. She later said she had miscarried but was never restarted on the drugs.

In September 2011, she told her care team she had suffered a second miscarriage and had been threatened by an ex-boyfriend.

Despite this, medical notes from Edgington’s care team show they believed she was ‘coping well’ !!!

Chief executive claims the decisions were "sound"

Are they of sound mind???

Report this post »

saveusfromhell says...
8:09am Sat 9 Feb 13

10 Horrifying thoughts about Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Part 1

1. Responsible for deaths of several of their patients in and outside their hospitals and the killings of innocents in South East London. Their hospital have become death camps.
http://www.newsshopp
er.co.uk/news/893845
7._Lack_of_care__bla
med_for__suicides__i
n_mental_health_unit
s/
http://www.standard.
co.uk/news/crime/men
tal-patient-nicola-e
dgington-made-21-cal
ls-for-help-before-k
illing-granny-848693
9.html

2. Ruled by the dictatorial royalty (chief executive, deputy chief executive and directors) from Pinewood PALACE (trust headquarters).

http://www.oxleas.nh
s.uk/about-us/board-
of-directors/

3. Responsible for diverting much needed cash from the cash strapped health authorities of Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley. They do have more than 70 million pounds in their coffers! Is this theft or profiteering?

http://www.oxleas.nh
s.uk/site-media/cms-
downloads/OXLEAS_ANN
UAL_REPORT_2011-12_f
or_website_27.6.12.p
df

4. Partly responsible for the closing down of essential hospital services in Lewisham and Sidcup while trying to expand their empires around South East London. Essential hospital services in South East London including A&Es and ambulance services are not able to cope with the patient they neglect and thrown into the streets. Patients have killed themselves in Princess Royal University Hospital after being denied much needed mental health care in the mental health units. Bexleyheath stabbing in another good example to patients going to A&E departments or having to ring the police or ambulance to seek mental health care.

http://www.bbc.co.uk
/news/uk-england-lon
don-21195602
http://www.savelewis
hamhospital.com/

5. The Pinewood PALACE (trust headquaters) have more staff than any hospital or health center sites. Patients are not allowed anywhere near the PALACE. The directors do not want their pristine five star facilities to be spoiled by their patients. So the palace is located farthest away from the subjects they exhort money from.

10 Horrifying thoughts about Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Part 1 1. Responsible for deaths of several of their patients in and outside their hospitals and the killings of innocents in South East London. Their hospital have become death camps. http://www.newsshopp er.co.uk/news/893845 7._Lack_of_care__bla med_for__suicides__i n_mental_health_unit s/ http://www.standard. co.uk/news/crime/men tal-patient-nicola-e dgington-made-21-cal ls-for-help-before-k illing-granny-848693 9.html 2. Ruled by the dictatorial royalty (chief executive, deputy chief executive and directors) from Pinewood PALACE (trust headquarters). http://www.oxleas.nh s.uk/about-us/board- of-directors/ 3. Responsible for diverting much needed cash from the cash strapped health authorities of Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley. They do have more than 70 million pounds in their coffers! Is this theft or profiteering? http://www.oxleas.nh s.uk/site-media/cms- downloads/OXLEAS_ANN UAL_REPORT_2011-12_f or_website_27.6.12.p df 4. Partly responsible for the closing down of essential hospital services in Lewisham and Sidcup while trying to expand their empires around South East London. Essential hospital services in South East London including A&Es and ambulance services are not able to cope with the patient they neglect and thrown into the streets. Patients have killed themselves in Princess Royal University Hospital after being denied much needed mental health care in the mental health units. Bexleyheath stabbing in another good example to patients going to A&E departments or having to ring the police or ambulance to seek mental health care. http://www.bbc.co.uk /news/uk-england-lon don-21195602 http://www.savelewis hamhospital.com/ 5. The Pinewood PALACE (trust headquaters) have more staff than any hospital or health center sites. Patients are not allowed anywhere near the PALACE. The directors do not want their pristine five star facilities to be spoiled by their patients. So the palace is located farthest away from the subjects they exhort money from. saveusfromhell

Report this post »

saveusfromhell says...
8:10am Sat 9 Feb 13

10 Horrifying thoughts about Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Part 2

6. There is a rumour that the Medial Director of the trust only does private practice. He does not see any NHS patients. He makes his money by taking patients from the NHS hospital. If this is true, why is he being paid a performance related bonus of £40, 000 on top of his regular salary of more than £150,000

http://www.oxleas.nh
s.uk/site-media/cms-
downloads/OXLEAS_ANN
UAL_REPORT_2011-12_f
or_website_27.6.12.p
df

7. Quick to blame poorly paid nurses gets fired while the top managers gets big bonuses.
http://www.newsshopp
er.co.uk/news/crime/
bexleyheath_knife_mu
rder/10214623.Bexley
heath_knife_murder__
Nurses_fired_for_lyi
ng_how_they_chased_k
iller_Nicola_Edgingt
on/

http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
2275138/Nicola-Edgin
gton-Schizophrenic-d
ecapitated-innocent-
grandmother-street-1
2in-butchers-knife-g
uilty-murder.html

"The recommendation for her conditional release was made by a team led by Dr Janet Parrott, an eminent psychiatrist. Edgington’s own family warned against her release. In March 2011, Edgington was allowed to stop her mood stabiliser drugs after she claimed she was pregnant. She later said she had miscarried but was never restarted on the drugs.In September 2011, she told her care team she had suffered a second miscarriage and had been threatened by an ex-boyfriend.Despite this, medical notes from Edgington’s care team show they believed she was ‘coping well’." (from the daily mail news article)
8. The number of managers keep increasing while the number of doctors and nurses keep decreasing. There is not enough room at Pinewood PALACE and they want to move to bigger offices. Doctors, nurses and patient will be kicked out to make room for more managers.
9. They spend a huge amount of money on propaganda and meeting the targets and their propaganda department goes into overdrive if there are any awards on offer in the country. They receive several awards and their rating are always excellent. But they don't care about their patients.

http://www.oxleas.nh
s.uk/news/2011/9/cqc
-gives-bracton-centr
e-a-goo/
http://www.oxleas.nh
s.uk/news/2009/11/br
acton-centre-wins-13
-koestle/
http://www.oxleas.nh
s.uk/site-media/cms-
downloads/Issue_18_-
_November_2009.pdf

10. Spend the huge amounts of money on IT department for big-brother activity to bully and intimidate staff. Trust is not concerned about patients killing themselves or killing others. Mantra is "documentation, documentation, documentation" so that Chief Executive can claim that the decisions were "sound". Ignore the poor patients, worship the computer. Nurses are not able to think about the patients, they worry all the time about getting all the forms completed.

10 Horrifying thoughts about Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Part 2 6. There is a rumour that the Medial Director of the trust only does private practice. He does not see any NHS patients. He makes his money by taking patients from the NHS hospital. If this is true, why is he being paid a performance related bonus of £40, 000 on top of his regular salary of more than £150,000 http://www.oxleas.nh s.uk/site-media/cms- downloads/OXLEAS_ANN UAL_REPORT_2011-12_f or_website_27.6.12.p df 7. Quick to blame poorly paid nurses gets fired while the top managers gets big bonuses. http://www.newsshopp er.co.uk/news/crime/ bexleyheath_knife_mu rder/10214623.Bexley heath_knife_murder__ Nurses_fired_for_lyi ng_how_they_chased_k iller_Nicola_Edgingt on/ http://www.dailymail .co.uk/news/article- 2275138/Nicola-Edgin gton-Schizophrenic-d ecapitated-innocent- grandmother-street-1 2in-butchers-knife-g uilty-murder.html "The recommendation for her conditional release was made by a team led by Dr Janet Parrott, an eminent psychiatrist. Edgington’s own family warned against her release. In March 2011, Edgington was allowed to stop her mood stabiliser drugs after she claimed she was pregnant. She later said she had miscarried but was never restarted on the drugs.In September 2011, she told her care team she had suffered a second miscarriage and had been threatened by an ex-boyfriend.Despite this, medical notes from Edgington’s care team show they believed she was ‘coping well’." (from the daily mail news article) 8. The number of managers keep increasing while the number of doctors and nurses keep decreasing. There is not enough room at Pinewood PALACE and they want to move to bigger offices. Doctors, nurses and patient will be kicked out to make room for more managers. 9. They spend a huge amount of money on propaganda and meeting the targets and their propaganda department goes into overdrive if there are any awards on offer in the country. They receive several awards and their rating are always excellent. But they don't care about their patients. http://www.oxleas.nh s.uk/news/2011/9/cqc -gives-bracton-centr e-a-goo/ http://www.oxleas.nh s.uk/news/2009/11/br acton-centre-wins-13 -koestle/ http://www.oxleas.nh s.uk/site-media/cms- downloads/Issue_18_- _November_2009.pdf 10. Spend the huge amounts of money on IT department for big-brother activity to bully and intimidate staff. Trust is not concerned about patients killing themselves or killing others. Mantra is "documentation, documentation, documentation" so that Chief Executive can claim that the decisions were "sound". Ignore the poor patients, worship the computer. Nurses are not able to think about the patients, they worry all the time about getting all the forms completed. saveusfromhell

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Marty1979 says...
9:41am Sat 9 Feb 13

Maybe when they closed Orpington Hospital they can convert the building for new offices

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goldenbroomboy says...
10:28am Sat 9 Feb 13

I suspect that the prosecution pressed for a murder charge because if The Crown had accepted a dimished responsiblity charge then the Health Service would be seen to be at fault.

A terrible story.

Report this post »

saveusfromhell says...
10:50am Sat 9 Feb 13

Stafford Hospital: Hiding mistakes 'should be criminal offence'

Not the poor nurses, but the top managers

http://www.bbc.co.uk
/news/health-2134176
6

Report this post »

saveusfromhell says...
10:51am Sat 9 Feb 13

Stafford Hospital: Five more hospital trusts to be investigated

Oxleas is not in the list!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk
/news/health-2135890
5

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mouthalmighty says...
6:16pm Sat 9 Feb 13

This is so worrying. We are not safe. Oxleas is one of many heath trusts washing their hands of mentally ill patients under the guise of coherency and other guises eg "treating someone for several years" when in fact they did nowt but antagonise.

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Inspirationalady28 says...
8:15pm Sat 9 Feb 13

It's only because of its involvement with the Woolwich/Lewisham hospitals scenario that people are commenting..this kind of thing has been going on for a number of years at several Mental Health Units around the country, so why highlight it now like it's something new?

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lollie,erith says...
9:25pm Sat 9 Feb 13

getting the so called service people need is a nightmare. they just fob you off or say the patient doesnt meet their criteria. my friend's son is 12 years old and needs input from mental health hospital - CAMHS and all they say is the child doesnt meet the criteria. when the boy was under CAMHS when younger, his allocated doctor put effort into NOT helping and were so rude. but again, no one is ever held accountable or disciplined so they just carry on as they are, failing to meet the desperate needs of mentally ill patients. so many other trusts/schools etc complained and the person is still working for NHS. its appalling and needs to change.

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mouthalmighty says...
10:21am Sun 10 Feb 13

Sadly mental health diagnosis is so ambiguous they can get away with anything. What gets me is why? Why would you not help someone? It dosent make sense. Maybe the doctors fear failureof not to being able help that they use all sorts of excuses to discharge a patient.

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banjo8 says...
8:59am Tue 12 Feb 13

By its very nature it's bound to be ambiguous. Mental health experts are forced to take difficult decisions every single day. they can't possibly get them all right and their damned if they do and damned if they don't. You can't keep all patients locked up all the time.

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