‘I was sleepwalking’: Can you kill someone while you’re asleep?

Published

1 year ago

June 22, 2024

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“I was sleepwalking,” a public schoolboy, wearing only his boxing shorts, was heard to say after brutally attacking two fellow students and a housemaster.

Henry Roffe-Silvester, a teacher at the exclusive boarding school, was awoken in the middle of the night by footsteps coming from the dormitory directly above.

He went to investigate, and as he opened the door to the pitch-dark room, he saw a silhouetted figure who turned and struck him on the head with a hammer.

“I stumbled backwards into the corridor,” said Mr Roffe-Silvester, during his attacker’s two-month trial. “There was a second blow – I can’t remember if it was before I stumbled back – that’s a little bit hazy for me.”

He suffered six blows to the head before managing to get the weapon off the boy he now recognised as one of his students, who “slumped down” in a squat position and was heard to say: “I was dreaming.”

When paramedics arrived at Blundell’s School in Tiverton, Devon, they found “carnage” like “a scene from a horror film” with blood over the desks, the walls and the cabin-style beds.

There was no question the boy, then 16, caused the “awful injuries” to the housemaster and two sleeping dorm-mates – both boys suffered skull fractures, as well as injuries to their ribs, spleen, a punctured lung and internal bleeding.

‘Zombie apocalypse’

He told a jury at Exeter Crown Court he kept hammers by his bed for “protection” from “the zombie apocalypse” or the end of the world.

He remembered going to sleep on 8 June last year, he said, and the next thing he recalled was being in the room which was “covered in blood”.

“I knew something really bad had gone on and everyone was looking towards me,” he said.

“I didn’t remember doing anything so the only rational thing I was thinking was that I was sleepwalking.”

Prosecutors said he had armed himself with three claw hammers, then waited for his victims to fall asleep before attacking them.

But his barrister, Kerim Fuad KC, said he must have been “sleepwalking to have committed these extraordinary acts” – meaning he would be not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

The history of the sleepwalking defence

The idea that acts of violence can be committed by people who are sleepwalking isn’t new – since the 14th century, the Catholic Church recognised the idea that a sleeper shouldn’t be held responsible for killing or injuring someone.

The first English case is believed to be the Old Bailey trial of Colonel Culpeper in 1686, who was said to have shot a guardsman and his horse during a dream. He was convicted of manslaughter while insane but pardoned a few weeks later.

More incidents came to light in the Victorian era as scientists began studying the mind, among them the famous case of Simon Fraser, a known sleepwalker, from Glasgow.

Believing he was saving his family from a wild beast that had burst through the floorboards, he killed his 18-month-old son by throwing him against a wall. He was cleared but was told by the judge to sleep alone in a locked room for the rest of his life.

More recently, in 2005 Jules Lowe was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and made the subject of a hospital order after claiming he was sleepwalking when he beat his father to death at the family home in Walkden, Greater Manchester, after a drinking session.

Three years later, father-of-two Brian Thomas strangled his wife Christine while they were on holiday in west Wales, believing an intruder had broken into their campervan.

The nightmare was suggested to have been triggered by an earlier incident when they were disturbed by youths doing wheel spins in the car park.

Thomas was described as a “decent man and a devoted husband” by the judge after being cleared of murder when prosecutors dropped the case.

The sleepwalking defence is rare – according to sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley, who was not involved in the Blundell’s case, and tells Sky News it has been successfully used just 200 times in the English-speaking world.

Sexsomnia

But it has become increasingly common over last 30 years, says Dr John Rumbold, a lecturer at the Nottingham Law School, who tells Sky News there is a growing number of sleep experts and a greater awareness among lawyers.

In the past, reported cases more commonly involved violence, he says, but now around 80% to 90% of cases involve sexsomnia, an extreme variant of sleepwalking, that can cause people to engage in sexual activity while unconscious.

“Very often it’s drunk young men” who are accused of rape or other sex offences, he says. “They don’t really have any other defence and it’s fairly complex actions.”

Dr Stanley believes that some people who are guilty have successfully used the defence in the past and says there is a lack of knowledge of the subject among judges, lawyers and juries.

What is sleepwalking and how common is it?

Around 5% to 10% of the adult population are believed to be regular sleepwalkers, according to experts, with the condition more common in children, peaking between the ages of nine and 13, and typically occurs in the first 90 minutes of sleep.

“We all have the capacity to sleepwalk,” says Dr Neil Stanley, who says some people will do it just once in their lives, while for others it’s a more regular occurrence.

He explains sleepwalking happens when the parts of the brain that control movement and speech wake up.

This can be triggered by anything that disturbs, sleep, such as medication, alcohol, drugs, or “sleeping on your mate’s couch after a few bevvies”.

Sleepwalking is so common that hotel staff may get training in how to deal with a semi-naked guest wandering the corridors.

But the stereotypical perception of a zombie-like state with eyes closed and arms stretched “is a nonsense”, says Dr Stanley.

“They can appear for all intents and purposes, to be awake. But what they can’t do is they cannot interact with the environment as though they were awake,” he says.

It usually involves “doing something that if you did it at 1pm fully clothed wouldn’t be of any interest”, but the “fact that you’re doing it at 1am and you’re in your PJs is probably the thing that differentiates it”.

Dr Stanley adds: “Sleepwalkers do things that are instinctual behaviours. So, they will go to the fridge and get a pint of milk, they will go to the toilet, which, if they’re in a hotel or staying over somewhere, means they pee in the wardrobe or more tragically go over the balcony and kill themselves.

“We know that some sleepwalkers actually can drive while they are asleep. But none of these are interesting other than the fact that the person has no idea that they’re doing them.”

He says that in theory he could use his expertise to tell someone how to behave and what to say to convince a court they were a genuine sleepwalker.

‘Get out of jail free card’

Some see it as “a get out of jail free card”, he says, but he adds that “people, in their sleep, can kill, they can rape, they can assault – sexually or physically”.

Barrister Ramya Nagesh, who has written a book on sleepwalking and other automatism defences tells Sky News that just because it is being used more “that doesn’t mean that it’s being used in bad faith because you do have to have expert opinion”.

She thinks there should be a change in the law to allow a verdict of not guilty by virtue of a medical condition to encompass cases involving sleepwalking, epileptic fits and hypoglycaemia.

“Automatism is an outright acquittal – it feels a bit odd to say we’ll excuse them, but they might go off and do it again,” she says.

“They don’t deserve to go to prison and wouldn’t benefit from a hospital order, so it would give judges a bit more power.”

The public schoolboy, now 17, who can’t be identified because of his age, has been found guilty of three counts of attempted murder after a jury deliberated for 40 hours and he will be sentenced in October.

His relatives told the jury there was a history of sleepwalking in the family and he said his mother had found him at the bottom of a staircase in their home around a decade ago.

A ‘textbook example’?

After the attacks, the teenager told a student he was watching horror movies, while others heard him say: “I am sorry, I was dreaming.”

At his trial, sleep forensic expert, Dr Mark Pressman, who has decades of experience in the field, has seen 20,000 patients and more than 100 cases of sleepwalking violence, was called as a witness.

He described the case in court as a “textbook example”, explaining sleepwalkers could be fearful for their lives and “respond with violence to protect themselves at a very primitive level”.

“The defendant swivelled around and attacked his housemaster without knowing who he was,” he said. He was not aware he had attacked the housemaster.”

But another expert witness, Dr John O’Reilly, told the court he did not believe the boy was asleep as a sleepwalker does not initiate violence because it is triggered by noise or touch.

Prosecutors said he had been awake shortly before the attacks, with an examination of his iPad showing he had been listening to music on Spotify, and that he had a fascination with serial killers.

‘Lucky to still be alive’

In his room, he kept a locked stash of what other pupils described as “weapons”, including shards of broken glass, screwdrivers and multiple hammers.

Police discovered he had carried out internet searches for “rampage killers”, “school massacres”, “murder with a hammer” and “killer kills while sleeping”.

He had sent alarming messages to one of his victims in the months before the attack – including a character from the horror film Texas Chainsaw Massacre wielding a hammer.

“These violent actions were repeated again and again,” said prosecutor James Dawes KC, and there was “no other explanation for his actions other than his intention to kill them”.

Following his conviction, senior crown prosecutor Helen Phillips said the two boys were “lucky to still be alive”.

“The boy, who had a macabre interest in murder, serial killers, and violence, showed no remorse and naïvely thought that by concocting a story about sleepwalking at the time of the attack he could evade punishment,” she added.

UK

Rachel Reeves survives permit row, but questions it raises cut deeper

Published

2 hours ago

October 30, 2025

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Rachel Reeves survives permit row, but questions it raises cut deeper

Rachel Reeves was never going to resign over her failure to apply for a permit to rent out her house in south London.

She is unlikely even to face a fine from Southwark council – the mea culpa from the estate agent will have absolved her of much of the political guilt.

The episode is a distraction from the far bigger challenge she faces ahead of next month’s budget – and the £30-40 billion black hole.

But that doesn’t mean this squall should be ignored entirely – for it tells us two important things.

The first is it reminds us of of one of Ms Reeves‘ traits that is at odds with the vibe she likes to present to the country: that she is not always as across the detail or on top of things as she would like to make out.

The chancellor first said she was not advised to get a permit by a letting agent, so did not do so. Then, 24 hours later, she said that she was told by the letting agency it would take care of a permit, and did not realise it had not.

But is that quite good enough, particularly for someone who campaigned to strengthen exactly this law and who ended up deriving financial benefit for not doing so, to quite evidently not be across the detail?

In the aftermath of Angela Rayner’s resignation for a failure to comply with property law, might it not have been worthwhile for one to double-check the paperwork of one’s second home?

Then there have been other incidents in Ms Reeves’ life outside of being chancellor that jar with the image of a super-efficient stateswoman.

Ahead of the election, Ms Reeves was forced to hold her hands up and acknowledge making mistakes in her new book about female economists after she faced allegations of plagiarism.

She admitted that some sentences in her book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics, were “not properly referenced in the bibliography”.

She also had to update her LinkedIn after it emerged she was not an “economist” when she worked in financial services at a bank.

For a chancellor who faces making momentous decisions that will affect everybody in this country, lack of attention to detail is not a characteristic she would want extensively dwelt on. The bigger story this tells about her will sting.

The second thing it tells us is just how central she is to the Starmer project.

Number 10 moved to protect her within hours – publishing an exchange of letters late into Wednesday night that relied just on the account of Ms Reeves and apparently without corroborating evidence.

The government machine went out of its way in the fastest possible timeframe to try and shut the matter down – a courtesy not extended to Angela Rayner or Louise Haigh.

This is because Sir Keir knows a Reeves departure risks exposing himself – weeks before a budget that could determine this prime minister’s fate.

It also risks an adverse reaction in the bond markets, which fear higher-borrowing alternative candidates in the Treasury.

Neither outcome is one this government feels like it could cope with at the moment.

Rachel Reeves is quite simply the most important figure in Sir Keir Starmer’s administration, and this is why she is protected at almost any reasonable cost.

While this is true now, it may not always be this way, however. Will Sir Keir feel the same after 26 November when he has to defend the tax-raising budget?

UK

This mum faces a nightly battle to keep her daughter alive – but the NHS won’t help her

Published

2 hours ago

October 30, 2025

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This mum faces a nightly battle to keep her daughter alive - but the NHS won't help her

For Shelley Mclean, every night is a sleepless one, just to keep her 11-year-old daughter alive.

Missy was born with a rare genetic condition that affects her breathing, digestion and movement.

She spent the first nine months of her life in hospital before coming home with a breathing tube in her throat, a feeding tube in her stomach, and a line into her bowel.

At first, the family had some NHS-funded nighttime care to help keep Missy safe while she slept.

But when her local NHS body decided she no longer met the threshold, that support was taken away.

Now, Missy’s mother is responsible for her care.

“I’m her nurse, her physio, her carer,” says Shelley. “I don’t sleep properly because I’m scared she’ll stop breathing.

“They say we don’t meet the threshold – but I don’t know what more they need to see.”

Every night, Shelley prepares Missy’s medicines, checks her tubes, and monitors her breathing.

“This is an epilepsy medicine,” she says, holding up a syringe.

“If she’s not tolerating food orally, I put it down the tube.”

Despite her exhaustion, Shelley is grateful for the care that once saved her daughter’s life.

“I’m very grateful the NHS saved Missy – she wouldn’t be here without them. But they’re crippling the parents.”

The postcode lottery

Children like Missy who leave hospital but still need intensive support are meant to receive what’s called NHS continuing care – specialist help for those with the most complex, life-limiting or life-threatening needs.

But Sky News has seen new data which shows access to this care is deeply inconsistent across England, creating a postcode lottery that leaves many families struggling to survive without the help they require.

New figures obtained by Sky News reveal just how uneven continuing care has become.

NHS spending on children’s continuing care ranges from just 80p to £6 per head depending on where families live.

Out of almost 100,000 children in England with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, only around 4% – roughly 4,400 – receive NHS continuing care funding.

And more than half of all disabled children referred for this kind of support are rejected.

Anna Bird, chief executive of charity Contact, says the system is leaving thousands of families on the brink.

“We’re not seeing the commitment to make sure those who need continuing care are getting it,” she told Sky News.

“Our research shows there’s a huge postcode lottery – families are running kind of little hospitals at home just to keep their children well and alive.

“They’re being let down by continuing care, and they’re not getting the support they need.”

In some areas, campaigners say local NHS bodies have cut back on support even for children with the most serious medical conditions.

Parents report being told their child no longer qualifies for help despite their needs remaining unchanged.

For Shelley, that decision means she rarely sleeps through the night.

“If I don’t go to her, she could be dead,” she says quietly. “She could have a fit and… you know, she could be dead.”

In a statement, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: “We understand Ms Mclean will be disappointed with the decision relating to her daughter’s funding.

“While we’re unable to comment on individual cases due to our commitment to patient confidentiality, all patients are reviewed jointly by health and care professionals to ensure they are receiving the most appropriate care for their needs.

“Patients who wish to discuss their funding decision are able to contact NHS Cheshire and Merseyside using the contact details included in their patient letters.”

But campaigners say that without national standards – and without the law forcing consistent assessments – those reviews will continue to vary wildly from one area to the next.

The human cost

The result is that parents like Shelley find themselves trapped between two systems – the NHS and social care – neither of which can agree who is responsible.

“I’m not the type of person who wants to ask anyone for help,” she says. “But it’s brought me to my knees.”

For Shelley, that gap is more than bureaucratic. It’s personal, relentless, and exhausting.

“I would invite them to come and have a week in my position – to try to wake up every hour, on the hour, every night. Then they might understand.”

Campaigners say no parent should have to shoulder that burden alone – and they want ministers to act.

They’re calling on the government to make continuing care a statutory entitlement, with consistent assessments, proper funding, and transparency about who gets help and who doesn’t.

Until then, families like Shelley’s will continue to do the work of the NHS from their own homes – unpaid, unsupported, and exhausted.

The Department for Health and Social Care said: “Our thoughts go out to Shelley and Missy – everyone should have access to high-quality, compassionate care.

“As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, the government is shifting more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families can get the care they need, where and when they need it.

“Integrated Care Boards are responsible for meeting the needs of local people – including Children and Young People’s Continuing Care and ensuring the care requirements of people like Missy and Shelley are met.

“This government has set out best practice, and provided guidance around assessments, decision-making and agreeing care packages for Children and Young People’s Continuing Care.”

UK

UK charters flights to help transport British nationals out of Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa

Published

2 hours ago

October 30, 2025

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UK charters flights to help transport British nationals out of Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa

The UK has chartered flights to help transport British nationals out of Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa ripped through the Caribbean.

Up to 8,000 holidaying British citizens are in Jamaica as it reels from one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history, with speeds of 185mph.

People have been ordered to stay indoors after Hurricane Melissa swept over the Caribbean island, which is also home to 50,000 dual nationals, with tourists locked down in hotels.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement that it was chartering the flights to help bolster commercial capacity.

It said the chartered flights were for those “who are unable to fly home commercially”, but that it was also working closely with travel companies to restore flights for holidaymakers and British nationals.

“All British nationals who have already registered via the Register Your Presence portal will automatically be contacted and provided with a link to the booking portal once airports are open,” an FCDO spokesperson said.

“If you are a British national in Jamaica wanting to leave on a flight and have not already registered your presence, you should do so immediately.”

The FCDO urged travellers to contact their airline or travel provider first to see if commercial options are available, and if they have already booked a flight back to the UK, to confirm if it is still operating.

“We will prioritise those who are most vulnerable, for example, those with medical needs and children, in allocating seats on the flight. The cost of a seat will be based on standard commercial rates,” the government said.

Eligible are British nationals and their immediate family members, which include partners or spouses and children under 18, as well as Windrush generations with indefinite leave to remain in the UK. All passengers must hold a valid travel document.

The FCDO said it would contact those who are allocated a seat on the flights directly, and urged British nationals not to make their way to the airport unless they are contacted.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The strong links between the UK and Jamaica mean many British nationals were there during the devastation of the hurricane, and we need to ensure they can get safely home, as we know how worrying and difficult the last few days will have been.

“The UK government is chartering flights to bolster commercial capacity and ensure people who wish to return to the UK can do so as soon as possible.”

It comes after the government announced it was making £2.5m available in emergency humanitarian funding to assist recovery efforts from the devastation Hurricane Melissa caused in the Caribbean.

At least 34 people have been killed in the hurricane. Eight of the deaths so far have come in Jamaica, one in the Dominican Republic, and 25 in Haiti.