A schizophrenic attacker who stabbed a Muslim man on a train to Forest Hill after shouting "I want to kill all Muslims" has been detained indefinitely in hospital.

Adrian Brown, 38, attacked Muhammed Ali on the London Overground on December 12 last year, knifing him six times to the head and torso, puncturing his lung.

Brown, who believed that he would “save humanity” and exorcise a Muslim demon haunting him, was found not guilty of attempted murder today (August 22) on the grounds of insanity after a two-day trial.

Southwark Crown Court heard Brown had been suffering a psychotic episode when he boarded the train saying “where are all the Muslims? I am going to kill all the Muslims", before holding a knife to the throat of another woman, who was unhurt.

Before the attack Brown threatened a support worker at the hostel he was living in then headed to the train station.

The court heard when off-duty police officer David Pearson faced Brown down and told him to put down the knife, the defendant told him: "No, you are OK, you are a Christian."

The officer helped Mr Ali to safety and gave a detailed description of the attacker to police over the phone before trying to persuade Brown to put down his weapon.

Mr Ali said in a statement read to the court that the attack had left him too frightened to leave his house.

He said: “I struggle to sleep at the time because every time I shut my eyes I have flashbacks to the whole thing.

“I can only assume it was me because my wife was wearing a headscarf.

“I am so shocked and scared about what took place and I am nervous about leaving the house and travelling on the train again.”

Brown, of Brockley Rise in Lewisham, was also found not guilty by reason of insanity of possession of an offensive weapon and of assault by beating of the support worker.

Detaining Brown indefinitely under section 37 of the Mental Health Act, Judge Deborah Taylor QC said: "You have a long history of psychotic illness and on that day you were suffering and you continue to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia."

She continued: "You attempted to kill (Mr Ali) by stabbing him repeatedly.

"There's no doubt that if it had not been for the prompt intervention of an off-duty police officer and two medical practitioners that he he may well have died such were the severity of his injuries and the loss of blood."

Judge Taylor also imposed an order under section 41 of the Mental Health Act meaning Brown can only ever be released from hospital on the order of a judge or Secretary of State.