Woman Detained Indefinitely for Stabbing Two Boys
Ann Marie McEvoy, who pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder, was sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act.
A woman who stabbed two 10-year-old boys has been detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital after being sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act. Ann Marie McEvoy, 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder in July.
Armed police found the injured boys after forcing their way into a flat in Friskney in November 2022, following a stand-off lasting several hours. McEvoy was tasered and arrested at the scene. The boys were treated in hospital for non life-threatening injuries.
During the sentencing at Lincoln Crown Court, a consultant forensic psychiatrist testified that the offenses would not have occurred had McEvoy been mentally well. The expert stated that McEvoy suffered from schizoaffective disorder and required treatment, potentially for the rest of her life.
McEvoy had previously been deemed unfit to stand trial and was made the subject of a hospital order in September 2024 after a jury found her responsible for the stabbings. The Crown Prosecution Service resumed criminal proceedings in March of this year after her condition improved, making her fit to enter pleas.
McEvoy's defense stated that she entered guilty pleas to spare the boys the ordeal of a trial. Impact statements from both boys were read in court. One described suffering a punctured lung and requiring surgery on his neck, while the other indicated he had only recently begun to feel better.
The judge stated he was satisfied that imposing a hospital order was the best way to protect the public, noting that McEvoy's need for treatment was likely to be significantly longer than a prison sentence. Doctors and the Secretary of State will determine if and when she can be released. A restraining order was also put in place, preventing McEvoy from contacting the children.