Knifeman who stabbed tourist in York city centre declared 'extremely dangerous'
The moment Matthew McPherson was located and arrested following an extensive search of the city (Image: North Yorkshire Police)
An “extremely dangerous” knifeman who stabbed an elderly stranger without warning in York city centre has been detained indefinitely.
Matthew McPherson, 26, cannot now be released until experts decide he is no longer a danger to the public, York Crown Court heard.
Philip Standfast, prosecuting, said the victim was visiting York from the USA.
Early on October 9, he stepped outside Moxy hotel in Black Horse Lane where he was staying to have a smoke.
“The door locked behind him,” said Mr Standfast. “He then became aware of the defendant who stabbed him twice before making off.”
The police cordon in Peasholme Green on October 9 following the stabbing
(Image: Haydn Lewis)
The tourist was taken to hospital with serious internal injuries and bleeding while police hunted for and found McPherson. He had two kitchen knives on him.
Last October, police said the tourist was in his 70s and that McPherson was riding a bicycle.
Judge Simon Hickey said the two were strangers to each other.
“The fact that you acted as you did completely out of the blue towards this man makes you in my mind extremely dangerous,” he told McPherson.
The pedestrian area outside the Moxy hotel (left hand building) in Black Horse Lane, off Peasholme Green, York
(Image: Google Street View)
He ordered that McPherson be detained indefinitely in a medium secure psychiatric hospital and if his mental health improves to the point where he no longer requires inpatient care, he can only released if he is not a danger to the public.
McPherson, formerly of Sawyers Walk, Dunnington, was charged with wounding the tourist with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm and two charges of carrying a knife in public.
Earlier this year, the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, after reading reports from two psychiatrists, declared that McPherson was mentally unfit to stand trial.
A York jury heard evidence from the tourist via a video link to the USA and other witnesses and decided that McPherson had committed the acts of wounding and carrying knives in public.
The jurors' decision enabled Judge Hickey to confine him under the Mental Health Act.
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Consultant psychiatrist Alex Collins-Flatt of Humber Centre medium psychiatric unit told York Crown Court that McPherson was suffering from schizophrenia and had in the past tried to hide medication given to him in a bid to avoid taking it.
McPherson’s parents had told him their son had attacked them in the past and they had been worried for their own safety.
The psychiatrist said that should McPherson be released from hospital he needed to have conditions imposed on him that would make it easier to recall him to custody if necessary.
Barrister Jordan Millican, on behalf of McPherson, did not object to the making of the hospital order.
McPherson is currently being detained at the Humber Centre and will remain there.