Grandmother, 51, was ‘suffering with delusions linked to paranoid schizophrenia’ when she stabbed her five-year-old grandson to death while caring for him – as heartbroken family say he will ‘never be forgotten’
- David-Mario Lazar, five, was found stabbed to death in Coventry last January
A grandmother was suffering from delusions linked to paranoid schizophrenia when she stabbed her five-year-old grandson to death while he was in her care.
David-Mario Lazar, known to family members as Mario, was found stabbed to death by police in Earlsdon, Coventry last January.
Today his grandmother Elena Anghel, 51, admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility at Warwick Crown Court.
Anghel, who had an extensive history of treatment in Romania for psychotic and depressive disorders dating back to at least 2009, killed Mario at their house in Poplar Road on January 25, the court heard.
The prosecution accepted her not guilty plea to a charge of murder and she is expected be sentenced by Mrs Justice Cockerill later on Tuesday.
Elena Anghel, 51, has admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility. Her grandson David-Mario Lazar was found stabbed to death by police in Earlsdon, Coventry last January (pictured together)
Mario, five, was found stabbed to death by police in Earlsdon, Coventry last January
The judge was told Anghel (right) had an extensive history of treatment in Romania for psychotic and depressive disorders dating back to at least 2009
A post-mortem confirmed that David Mario had died from his stab wounds.
Anghel was looking after the little boy while his parents were at work. She was sectioned under the Mental Health Act following his death and remanded in a secure mental health facility.
In a victim impact statement read into the court record by prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith, David-Mario’s mother said: ‘Mario was five years old when he died and he was killed by my mother.
‘I still cannot believe this has happened. It is over a year ago now and nothing changes.’
It continued: ‘In our home Mario is everywhere. There are pictures and memories of him all over.
A post-mortem later confirmed that little Mario had died from his stab wounds
Anghel was looking after Mario while his parents were at work (Mario is pictured with his parents)
‘He will never be forgotten. I never saw her (Anghel) do anything around my son that would alarm me. She loved him and he loved her.
‘I would never have trusted her to care for Mario if she had shown any signs of illness.’
Shortly after their son’s death, his parents Cristina and Dorinel paid tribute to David-Mario in a statement issued by West Midlands Police.
They said: ‘Our son, he was the most beautiful child in the world.
‘He was a very happy boy. He was always smiling from when he woke up to when he went to sleep.
‘He had so much energy. He loved to dance and sing. He is all of our hearts, all our love and is everything to both of us.’
Mario is pictured with his mother Christina, father Peter Grieves-Smith and grandmother Ms Anghel
In a tribute, Mario’s parents Cristina (pictured) and Dorinel said ‘he will never be forgotten’
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