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Man on conditional release who killed partner 'lied about relationship' Man on conditional release who killed partner sentenced to life in jail
(35 minutes later)
A man who murdered his former partner was ordered to inform mental health authorities when he entered a relationship, as a condition of his release from a secure unit for one of two previous killings, but failed to do so, a court has heard. A garage worker who killed three of his partners over four decades has been jailed for life with a minimum of 26 years for the “brutal and merciless” murder of his most recent victim.
Theodore Johnson, 64, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to murdering Angela Best, with whom he was in a relationship for nearly 20 years. Theodore Johnson, 64, bludgeoned Angela Best with a claw hammer and strangled her with a dressing gown cord a couple of months after the couple ended their 20-year relationship.
Johnson has two previous convictions for manslaughter of two other former partners, in 1981 and 1993. Johnson had two previous convictions for manslaughter for killing two other former partners, in 1981 and 1993. After the attack in 1993, he was detained in a secure hospital but conditionally discharged in 1997.
He is being sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday for the murder of Best, 51, who lived in Tottenham in north London. Mental health authorities will now face questions over how he was able to hide a 20-year relationship from them despite regular visits to his home in north London.
Johnson, who lived in north London, was handed a hospital order in 1993, from which he was fully released in October 1997 after a period of supervision. During the sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey, the court heard that one of the conditions of his release was to inform authorities if he entered a relationship.
During the sentencing hearing for Best’s murder, the court heard one of the conditions of that release was to inform mental health authorities if he had entered a relationship. The court heard he did not disclose his relationship with Best and on an occasion close to her murder denied having been in a relationship with the mother of four. Johnson’s defence barrister, Annette Henry QC, said he had deliberately not told authorities he was in a relationship with Best.
Johnson and Best started a relationship when he was on unescorted release, on an unknown date in 1996. Henry said concerns had been raised about the “self-reporting” nature of the condition, including by the mental health tribunal that oversaw his release.
Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, told the court Johnson subjected Best to a “brutal and merciless” attack with a claw hammer and dressing gown cord when she visited his flat in Dartmouth Park Hill road in December 2016. The couple were separated at the time of the murder and Best had started a relationship with another man. And on at least one occasion, mental health staff failed to follow up on suspicions he was seeing a woman after seeing a “feminine carving” of the word “love” on the mantelpiece of his home in Dartmouth Park Hill.
“He [Johnson] did it because after all that time that had gone before, she was no longer prepared to remain with him. She had recently met another man and begun a new chapter in her life,” Heywood said. “The defendant was not prepared to live with that or without her.” The judge, the colour serjeant of London, Richard Marks QC, said had Johnson revealed the relationship, Best, a mother of four who lived in Tottenham, may still be alive.
Hours after killing her, Johnson threw himself in front of a train at Cheshunt railway station in Hertfordshire, losing both his arms. Mark Heywood QC, prosecuting, told the court Johnson subjected Best to a “brutal and merciless” attack with a claw hammer and dressing gown cord when she visited his flat in December 2016. The couple had recently separated at the time of the murder and Best had started a relationship with another man. Family described her as being the happiest she had ever been.
Slumped in a wheelchair in the dock, Johnson looked to the floor as the hearing on Friday unfolded, with Best’s family, including her sisters, looking on. “He did it because after all that time that had gone before, she was no longer prepared to remain with him. She had recently met another man and begun a new chapter in her life,” Heywood said. “The defendant was not prepared to live with that or without her.”
The court heard that he deliberately withheld from the authorities the fact he was in a relationship in an attempt to deceive them. Hours after killing her, Johnson threw himself in front of a train at Cheshunt railway station in Hertfordshire, losing both his arms. Slumped in a wheelchair in grey prison-issue clothing in the dock, Johnson looked to the floor throughout the hearing, with Best’s family, including her sisters, looking on.
But Annette Henry QC, defending Johnson, said his case showed there were lessons to be learned on the issue of self-reporting, as he client’s mental health meant he was not reliable. And on one occasion, a visit to his home, during which a “feminine wooden carving of the word love” on the mantelpiece was noted, was not followed up. Johnson was born in Jamaica where he grew up as one of 11 children working on a banana plantation. He moved to the UK in 1980 with his wife, Yvonne Johnson, who he killed in 1981 after an argument. He hit her with a vase before pushing her off the balcony of their ninth-floor flat in Wolverhampton. He was convicted at Stafford crown court in November that year.
“The most important condition was not complied with,” Henry said. “Mr Johnson did not at any stage inform any individual in any authority about the relationship he had started with Best.” After his release he went on to kill Yvonne Bennett 11 years later, strangling her with a belt at their home in Finsbury Park, north London.
The judge, Richard Marks QC, asked why. In March 1993, at the Old Bailey he was convicted of killing Bennett by diminished responsibility. He was suffering from a depressive illness and personality disorder and was handed a secure hospital order.
Henry said: “There is no good answer to that. He deliverable did not report it.” In 1994, a period of both unescorted and escorted release commenced, the court heard. In 1996, his application to a mental health tribunal for a conditional discharge was refused. He applied again in 1997 and his application was approved, although he was ordered to disclose all future relationships.
But Johnson and Best had already started a relationship by that point.
Henry, defending, said: “The most important condition was not complied with,” she said. “Mr Johnson did not at any stage inform any individual in any authority about the relationship he had started with Best.”
The judge asked why, to which Henry replied: “There is no good answer to that. He deliberately did not report it.”
But she added there were “lessons to be learned” about self-reporting.
The judge said: “If he had reported the relationship as he knew he should have done we might not be here today.”The judge said: “If he had reported the relationship as he knew he should have done we might not be here today.”
Henry told the court that Johnson did not want to continue living.Henry told the court that Johnson did not want to continue living.
“He hates himself for what has happened,” she said. “Mr Johnson will lead a miserable existence. It’s doubtful he will be released alive from any sentence and it’s highly likely he will die in prison.”“He hates himself for what has happened,” she said. “Mr Johnson will lead a miserable existence. It’s doubtful he will be released alive from any sentence and it’s highly likely he will die in prison.”
Johnson was one of 11 children in his family growing up in Jamaica, who worked on a banana plantation. He was physically abused by his father before he ran away from home, Henry said. Reading a victim impact statement on behalf of Best’s sister, Valerie Archibald, Heywood said: “The shock still remains and the loss is traumatising, immense, profound and utter devastation.
Reading a victim impact statement on behalf of Best’s sister Valerie Archibald Heywood said: “The shock still remains and the loss is traumatising, immense, profound and utter devastation.
“She was a truly beautiful, gentle, loving, wonderful, fun, youthful, generous, loyal person, the life and soul of our family unit.”“She was a truly beautiful, gentle, loving, wonderful, fun, youthful, generous, loyal person, the life and soul of our family unit.”
Another statement from Best’s son, Fabian Collins, said: “I now hate life.” Another statement from her son, Fabian Collins, said: “I now hate life.”
Collins said he rcontinued to live in his mother’s flat and struggled to stop thinking about her. “My mum is the only person who understood me fully because we were so alike,” he said. Collins said he remains living in his mother’s flat and struggles to stop thinking about her. “My mum is the only person who understood me fully because we were so alike,” he said.
Johnson initially pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Best by diminished responsibility but denied murder. He changes his plea as a jury was being selected on the first day of his trial. Johnson initially pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Best, 51, by diminished responsibility but denied murder, and later changed his plea to guilty as a jury was being selected on the first day of his trial.
Johnson moved to the UK in 1980. In 1981, he killed his then wife, Yvonne Johnson, after an argument. He hit her with a vase before pushing her off the balcony of their ninth-floor flat in Wolverhampton. He was convicted of manslaughter at Stafford crown court in November that year. Camden and Islington NHS trust, which provided care to Johnson, is to commission an independent report into its contact with Johnson. The trust, which began providing care to the 64-year-old in December 2004, said Johnson had been “seen in compliance with the conditions imposed by the mental health tribunal who oversaw his earlier discharge”.
After his release he went on to kill Yvonne Bennett 11 years later, strangling her with a belt at their home in Finsbury Park, north London.
In March 1993, at the Old Bailey he was convicted of killing Bennett by diminished responsibility. He was suffering from a depressive illness and personality disorder and was handed a secure hospital order.
In 1994, a period of both unescorted and escorted release commenced, the court heard. In 1996, his application to a mental health tribunal for conditional discharge was refused. He applied again in 1997 and his application was approved.
Camden and Islington NHS trust, which provided care to Johnson, is to commission an independently chaired report into its contact with Johnson. The trust, which began providing care to the 64-year-old in December 2004, said Johnson had been “seen in compliance with the conditions imposed by the Mental Health Tribunal who oversaw his earlier discharge”.
“Following the conclusion of legal proceedings, we will be sharing with Ms Best’s family the trust’s own independently chaired report into the care provided,” the trust said.“Following the conclusion of legal proceedings, we will be sharing with Ms Best’s family the trust’s own independently chaired report into the care provided,” the trust said.