Overview

• Judge Anna Richardson imposed Section 37 and Section 41 orders, ensuring Richard Law’s indefinite detention in a secure psychiatric hospital
• Law pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility after psychiatrists diagnosed him with a severe depressive disorder
• On January 17, Law bludgeoned his 70-year-old sister Judith with a hammer at their Newton Poppleford home before calling 999 to report the killing
• Police investigations revealed the siblings had lived reclusive, largely separate lives under the same roof with no prior history of violence
• Criminal proceedings have closed and Law’s continued confinement will depend on future medical assessments under the Mental Health Act