A mentally-ill man who stabbed an elderly motorist 39 times in a road rage row has been found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Matthew Daley, 35, repeatedly knifed 79 year-old Donald Lock after his Toyota crashed into the back of Daley’s Ford Fusion at 16 mph, causing minor damage.
Witnesses reported that Mr Lock calmly got out of his car to ask Daley why he had braked so suddenly.
Daley, also appearing calm, launched at Mr Lock with a knife, allegedly telling him: “die you f****** c***. A witness also head Mr Lock yell: “Help, help, get off me.”
Brighton and Hove Albion season ticket holder Mr Lock, who had recently been given the all-clear from prostate cancer, died at the scene in Worthing, Sussex, from a stab wound to the aorta.
The court heard Daley had suffered with mental health problems for 10 years.
Before the killing, Daley’s family ‘pleaded’ with clinicians to section him as his mental health declined.
His father John Daley broke down as he claimed the killing on July 16 last year need not have happened if his son's mental health had been treated "properly".
He said: "All our nightmares had come to pass and just unnecessarily because I know that people with mental conditions like this can be treated, people can be sectioned, people can have injections and these things do not need to happen.
"I am thinking to myself, this poor man and his family will have to live with my son's actions for the rest of their lives.”
Daley was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at Lewes Crown Court today.
Daley did not give evidence at the trial.
NHS chiefs have apologised to Daley’s relatives for not doing more.
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