A CRAZED EX-SOLDIER’S EIGHT YEAR CAMPAIGN TO HAVE

A CRAZED EX-SOLDIER’S EIGHT YEAR CAMPAIGN TO HAVE HIS PARENTS

ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER ERUPTED INTO VIOLENCE WHEN HE LAUNCHED

A VICIOUS KNIFE ATTACK AT HAMPSTEAD POLICE STATION, THE OLD BAILEY

HEARD ON MONDAY.

PETER BRITON, 34, DESCRIBED BY THE JUDGE AS ‘EXTREMELY

DANGEROUS’, BELIEVED HIS PARENTS TRIED TO KILL HIM WHEN HE WAS 11

YEARS OLD, THE COURT WAS TOLD.

AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL BID TO HAVE THEM PUT ON TRIAL BRITON

BOMBARDED PUBLIC FIGURES WITH LETTERS.

HE EVEN BURST INTO THE SURGERY OF FRANK DOBSON, LABOUR MP FOR

HOLBORN AND ST PANCRAS, SAYING HE WOULD TAKE ACTION WHICH WOULD CAUSE

THE DEATH OF MILLIONS.

FINALLY, CONVINCED POLICE HAD COVERED UP FOR HIS PARENTS,

BRITON LAUNCHED A RAID ON HAMPSTEAD POLICE STATION, STABBING ONE

OFFICER AND ATTEMPTING TO KNIFE ANOTHER.

THE COURT HEARD THAT EARLIER BRITON HAD THEATENED TO KILL 20

POLICEMEN.

BRITON, OF BELMONT STREET, CHALK FARM, WHO ADMITTED

INTENTIONALLY WOUNDING PC JOHN ABERDEEN AND ATTEMPTING TO WOUND PC

RUSSELL HAWES, WAS ORDERED TO BE DETAINED IN PARK LANE SECURE MENTAL

HOSPITAL.

TWO PSYCHIATRISTS REPORTED TO THE JUDGE THAT BRITON WAS

SUFFERING FROM SEVERE PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA.

JUDGE ROBERT LYMBERY TOLD HIM:’YOU HAVE FOR A LONG TIME

HARBOURED DELUSIONS ABOUT YOUR PARENTS, YOUR CHILDHOOD AND THE

POLICE.

YOU ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

‘

MR JAMES STURMAN, DEFENDING, SAID BRITON BELIEVED HIS PARENTS

DELIBERATELY REFUSED HIM MEDICAL CARE WHEN HE WAS SUFFERING FROM

BRONCHITIS WHEN A CHILD.

‘HE WANTED HIS PARENTS PROSECUTED FOR WHAT HE SAYS WAS AN

ATTEMPT TO KILL HIM.

HE HAS MADE GREAT EFFORTS TO GET THE POLICE TO

TAKE ACTION,’ MR STURMAN ADDED.

IN 1980 DETECTIVES INTERVIEWED BOTH BRITON’S PARENTS.

THEY

WERE NOT CHARGED.

BRITON THEN TRIED UNSUSCCESSFULLY TO GET A PRIVATE

PROSECUTION UNDER WAY.

‘HIS FAILURE TO GET ANYONE TO DO ANYTHING NURTURED HIS

OBSESSION,’ MR STURMAN CONTINUED.

HE TOLD THE COURT THAT BRITON, WHO WAS TAKEN INTO CARE AT THE

AGE OF 15, WANTED TO SUE HIS FATHER FOR #1 MILLION.

HE AIMED TO USE

THE MONEY TO START AN EDUCATIONAL TRUST FOR ANYONE WHOSE PROSPECTS

HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY BEING TAKEN INTO CARE.

BRITON, WHO WENT TO ZIMBABWE AFTER BEING DISCHARGED FROM

THE BRITISH ARMY, CAMPAIGNED FOR EIGHT YEARS FOR ACTION TO BE TAKEN

AGAINST HIS PARENTS.

IN 1983 HE LAUNCHED A PUBLICITY

CAMPAIGN AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ON THE STEPS OF HAMPSTEAD POLICE

STATION AND WAS ARRESTED.

FINALLY AFTER VISITING THE SURGERY OF HIS LOCAL MP, FRANK

DOBSON, HE WENT TO THE POLICE STATION ARMED WITH A KNIFE.

MR STURMAN SAID:’IT CAN ONLY BE HOPED THAT THERE WILL COME A

TIME WHEN HE WILL FORGET ABOUT THIS.

‘

HE ADDED THAT BRITON’S PARENTS FELT NO ILL WILL TOWARDS HIM.

ENDS.