Mental health patient strangled fellow resident to death

A mental health patient has admitted killing another resident at a care facility.

Hugo Flint-Cahan, 34, was found ‘kneeling on the floor’ bleeding from injuries to his head and face at the Newham Centre for Mental Health in east London on 3 January this year.

Emergency services attended but Mr Flint-Cahan was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as compression to the neck.

Rolando Torres-Pena, 22, a fellow resident at the centre, admitted manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility at the Old Bailey today.

He denied murder and his plea to the lesser charge was accepted by Julian Evans, KC, for the prosecution.

Torres-Pena appeared in the dock accompanied by four staff members from Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital and a Spanish interpreter.

Six members of Mr Flint-Cahan’s family watched from the side of the court.

Mr Evans added: ‘In light of the reports that have been obtained the position is that the partial defence of diminished responsibility is available to Mr Torres-Pena.’

Judge Mark Dennis, KC, adjourned sentence until 16 November and told Torres-Pena: ‘I have to impose a sentence upon you for the offence of manslaughter.

‘I have already seen some of the reports that have been prepared about you.

‘I need to make a decision as to what is the just and appropriate sentence in the interests of all concerned in this case and I want the time between now and 16 November to consider all the material and form a view.’

Torres-Pena, previously of Carson Road, Canning Town, admitted manslaughter.
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