A schizophrenic tried to hack his flatmate to death with a meat cleaver and left his nose hanging off during a rampage after watching a slasher movie.
Tomas Bouska, 35, of Birkhall Road in Catford, had been up all night watching a violent film, and attacked Nicholas Hill inside their shared home as he believed he was trying to poison him.
He rained down blows and strangled him until Mr Hill ran into a neighbour's house, locking Bouska outside until police arrived on August 5 last year.
The victim said he had repeatedly warned the South London and Maudsley Community Mental Health Team about his flatmate's deteriorating behaviour in the period leading up to it.
Three days before the attack, Bouska went to his GP – but was given paracetamol instead of anti-psychotic drugs.
Mr Hill, 46, suffered multiple wounds, which included skull fractures and cuts, during the attack.
The Old Bailey heard he needed 150 facial stitches and 150 to his body, and had to have his nose stitched back on.
Bouska, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was convicted of attempted murder.
He admitted an alternative charge of wounding with intent to do GBH.
Bouska was made subject of a hospital order, meaning the secretary of state or a tribunal will need to approve his release.
Judge Wendy Joseph QC said: “On the morning of August 5, he woke to find you that you had spent the night apparently watching a violent movie.
“You were sitting in front of the TV, unmoving and staring vacantly. When he expressed concern, you accused him of poisoning him.
“You got a meat cleaver from the kitchen, and you struck him hard on the head a number of times, fracturing his skull.
“You caused deep wounds. You almost severed his nose.”
She added: “When ill, you are capable of the most horrifying violence.”
Bouska claimed his bedding was being poisoned by his former flatmate - a friend of Mr Hill's called Stuart - and he was in on the plot.
On the day of the attack, Mr Hill tried to speak to Bouska about his health and "strange behaviour" at 7am.
But Bouska became aggressive and grabbed a meat cleaver from the kitchen, and started hacking Mr Hill in the head and back.
He escaped outside, but Bouska caught up with him and tried to strangle him as Mr Hill yelled "Tomas stop, you are killing me".
But he continued until Mr Hill managed to twist out of his grip and ran back inside.
Catherine Farrelly, prosecuting, said: "He thought that he was safe. However, again the defendant persisted in his attack."
After failing to kick down the front door, Bouska went round the back and managed to get inside.
Ms Farrelly said: "The defendant descended upon Mr Hill, repeatedly raining blows using the meat cleaver.
"Mr Hill managed to open the front door and run out into the street, followed by the defendant who continued to attack.
"Mr Hill had blood pouring down his face and into his eyes. And he could hear someone calling out to him, telling him to run.”
A neighbour, Gregory Boon, bravely intervened, kicking and punching Bouska which allowed the victim to escape into a nearby house.
The prosecutor said: "He could still hear the defendant trying to force his way through the front door."
Mr Hill told the trial: "It was a very forceful blow. It was disorientating. I felt like I was falling down. I felt that my life was in danger."
Reading his victim impact statement, Mr Hill told Bouska: "I do forgive you. I bear no ill towards you, I wish you well."
But he blasted the mental health services.
He said: "I am left with very little confidence in the professionalism of the mental health workers and the GPs I hold largely responsible for the events.
“Tomas would explain his mental health illness as a pain in the head. That was his proposition to the GP – the GP’s response was therefore incorrect.
“I would have expected the GP to have a clear understanding of how their failures nearly led to a murder.
"It appears I am the only person who sounded the alarm. My warnings fell on deaf ears."
Bouska, who moved to the UK from the Czech Republic in 2006, saw his GP three days before, the court heard.
Mr Hill said: "Again, he was proscribed paracetamol instead of anti psychotics.
"I am certain without changes it will happen again, but to an actual murder not an attempted murder.
"If the mental health services had acted on my complaints surely this attack would not have happened."
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