A SCHIZOPHRENIC and psychotic man who launched a savage attack on a 71-year-old woman in York has been detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital.

In a letter, Jack William Slater’s parents told Judge Andrew Stubbs QC they had spent years trying unsuccessfully to get professional help for their son because they believed he was mentally ill.

In the hours leading up to the moment when Slater stamped twice on the woman’s head, they rang the local mental health crisis team four times because they were concerned about his behaviour - and got no reply, they said.

Sean Smith, defending, said Slater’s father John had told him he had been unable to tell professionals they had "got it wrong".

Mr Smith said: “He has been trying to ensure his son had treatment prior to this attack to ensure such a thing would not happen.”

Martin Robertshaw, prosecuting, said the 71-year-old, who had dementia, became disorientated. She didn’t react to the attack and didn’t appear to realise what was happening as she lay on the ground.

Reports before the court from two psychiatrists who saw Slater after the attack, said he was schizophrenic and had complex mental health difficulties and psychosis, depression, autistic spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Sectioning him under the Mental Health Act, the judge said: “It is no comfort to your victim. It will be some comfort to your parents.”

Earlier, he had described the attack as “terrible” and “appalling”, adding that had Slater been mentally well and had deliberately carried it out he would have been looking at a “very long” prison sentence.

Slater, 23, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to wounding.

Mr Robertshaw said Slater and his father had been in the Co-op store in Beckfield Lane, Acomb, just before 5pm on September 11, as had the woman.

After they came out, Slater, without warning, knocked the woman backwards and she hit her head on the ground.

His father pushed Slater away and tried to restrain him, but Slater broke free, went over to the woman and stamped twice on her head.

Onlookers restrained him and called police.

The victim suffered cuts, bruises, swelling and grazes on her head and face. A CT scan revealed no internal bleeding.