A younger mom who stabbed a have-a-go hero who tried to cease her after she ran over and killed a part-time bus driver after smoking hashish has been handed an indefinite hospital order.
Rhian Beresford, 29, was laughing as she ran over Stefan Melnyk, 54, inflicting him deadly accidents in Acton, west London on March 22, 2020.
She had a younger daughter at the back of the automotive as she ran down Mr Melnyk. After the collision, she then stabbed Thames Water employee George Pantazi who chased after her as she tried to run away.
Stefan Melnyk, 54, was run over and killed by paranoid schizophrenic Rhian Beresford, 29 in Acton west London in March 2020 after the mother-of-one had smoked hashish. She then tried to kill a Thames Water worker who tried to come back to Mr Melnyk’s help
Mr Melnyk died after he was run over in Acton, west London in March 2020. Police launched a homicide investigation after inspecting the scene, pictured
A number of Thames Water staff tried to supply Mr Melnyk help following the unprovoked assault
Beresford of Motion, W3, pleaded responsible to manslaughter by motive of diminished accountability in December 21 and was sentenced yesterday on the Outdated Bailey whereas showing by video hyperlink.
She additionally pleaded responsible to inflicting grievous bodily hurt to Mr Pantazi as effectively has his tried homicide.
The CPS additionally accepted her not responsible plea to Mr Melnyk’s homicide.
The courtroom heard police have been referred to as to the scene at 12:50pm following experiences {that a} man had been struck by a automotive.
Mr Melnyk was rushed to hospital however died the next day.
Detective Insepctor Garth Corridor of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command (Murder) mentioned: ‘Because the pleas entered at courtroom point out, this can be a case the place it’s accepted that extreme psychological unwell well being was a key issue.
‘Whereas this will likely go some method to accounting for the occasions of that day, it nonetheless stays a tragic incident and my ideas are with Stefan Melnyk’s household as they proceed to come back to phrases with their loss.
‘I might additionally wish to as soon as once more thank and pay tribute to the members of the general public who got here to Stefan’s assist in probably the most traumatic circumstances.’
The courtroom heard she was struggling paranoid schizophrenia on the time of killing.
The Outdated Bailey heard that Beresford had a smirk on her face after driving into Mr Melnyk
Choose Richard Marks QC handed her a hospital order with out restrict of time.
He paid tribute to the ‘appreciable bravery’ of Mr Pantazi in ‘placing his personal security fully to at least one facet’ to assist detain Beresford.
Awarding him £750, the choose mentioned: ‘It was fully fortuitous as occasions turned out that he was not severely injured.’
Earlier, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC mentioned Beresford drove her Vauxhall Astra ‘at velocity’ on the pavement in Acton instantly at Mr Melnyk on March 22 final 12 months.
He mentioned: ‘Utilizing her automotive in impact as a weapon, she drove at Mr Melnyk, placing and throwing him to the bottom.
‘She then intentionally drove the automotive over his inclined physique, revving the engine and rolling the automotive ahead to crush him.
‘She inflicted very vital harm to Mr Melnyk which proved deadly.’
Thames Water personnel working close by ran to Mr Melnyk’s assist as he screamed trapped beneath the automotive.
Mr Pantazi chased after Beresford when she received out of the automotive ‘smirking’ and saying: ‘I’ve received a knife.’
Describing the incident, Mr Pantazi mentioned: ‘I heard a loud bang and the sound of somebody screaming.
‘I circled and noticed a person below a black automotive screaming beneath the automotive.
‘All of us screamed on the (driver) ‘cease! cease! There’s somebody below the automotive’.
‘She did not cease, ignored us after which reversed over the person once more, earlier than accelerating and driving over him yet one more time.’
He mentioned Beresford ‘sat within the automotive laughing and smiling at us, making an attempt to rev the automotive ahead’.
‘The motive force began driving the automotive forwards and backwards over the person beneath. We now have tried to raise the automotive off the person to cease it.
‘The girl checked out me and was smiling and laughing,’ he mentioned.
Mr Pantazi instructed how Beresford received out of the automotive and ran away.
He chased after her however stumbled an fell over and Beresford turned on him armed with a kitchen knife.
‘She began to run in direction of me.
‘She didn’t say something however she had a smirk on her face’, he mentioned.
Within the assault, he suffered a minimize hand however his heavy work garments protected him from severe harm.
Cops arrived on the scene and detained the only mom with using a Taser.
Graphic CCTV footage was performed in courtroom of the determined makes an attempt to rescue Mr Melnyk.
The courtroom heard Mr Melnyk was a carer for his father and aunt.
He loved studying and visiting museums and galleries and was keen about historical past.
His brother John Melnyk mentioned he ‘spent his life serving to folks’ as a commerce union consultant and supportive member of the family.
His cousin Elizbieta Kaczmar mentioned in a press release: ‘Each time I take into consideration what occurred to Stefan it makes me cry.
‘He was such an incredible individual.
‘At all times joyful to assist others.’
Nephew Patryk Jarosz mentioned: ‘I misplaced an incredible uncle, a information and instructor.
‘I used to be terribly unhappy and terrified once I came upon what occurred to him.’
In a press release, Mr Pantazi mentioned he stored occupied with the incident and was left with ’emotions of hysteria and worry’.
In mitigation, Miranda Moore QC mentioned Beresford was ‘deeply remorseful’.
The courtroom heard that though the defendant had smoked hashish, her psychosis was not believed to be drug induced.
She had been self isolating as her daughter had signs of Covid.
