A man stabbed a beloved grandmother to death just hours after being discharged by two doctors, despite him warning them "he would kill a random person if he were discharged".

Lorna England, 74, was walking home from a Lidl supermarket when she was stabbed in the neck and chest by Cameron Davis, 31, at Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter, on the afternoon of February 18 2023.

Today, he was jailed for life for the murder and must spend a minimum of 28 years in prison.

Judge Mrs Justice Stacey said he had shown no remorse for the murder.

Exeter Crown Court heard earlier this week that at 4.41am the same day Davis called police when he threatened to take his own life in a fire at his accommodation unless he was arrested.

Paramedics also attended and found Davis sitting on the pavement outside.

Prosecuting, Joanna Martin KC, said: “He said he was going to kill someone if he was discharged that day.

“He said he had committed other crimes in the past and always got away with it. He repeated that if he was discharged, he would kill a random person.”

He was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, where he was warned that if he did anything it would be a pre-meditated crime.

However, two psychiatrists who assessed him discussed whether to section Davis and ultimately decided not to and that he did not need to be admitted to hospital, despite his chilling warning.

After being discharged Davis went to the same Lidl branch and bought vodka and a knife then went to Ludwell Valley Park to drink the alcohol.

The jury heard Mrs England left her home and walked across the park to buy flour in Lidl.

CCTV was shown of her making the return journey when she was stabbed twice in a wooded area by Davis with the kitchen knife he bought.

He fatally knifed her and also took her mobile phone.

Davis later went to shops and two pubs in Exeter before being spotted on CCTV sitting on a pavement in the city centre at 9.30pm.

He was arrested and later charged. He denied murdering Lorna, but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.

Giving evidence during his trial, Davis, of Exeter Road in Exmouth, blamed failures in his care for the killing.

Joss Ticehurst, defending, said Davis' mental health was deteriorating in the weeks leading up to the murder.

Yet, Ms Martin, prosecuting, said Davis stabbed her to death more out of being “angry and upset” than being affected by a mental illness to the amount that his responsibility was diminished.

He was found guilty of murder by the jury following the trial.

Judge Stacey said: "This has been one of the most shocking and brutal killings – the killing of a member of the public walking through a park by a complete stranger taps into very deep-seated, human fears.

“The tragedy for the England family and their grief is unimaginable.”

Mrs England's family said in a statement: “We have been tormented by the violence, pain and suffering inflicted by Cameron Davis on Lorna from such a mindless and brutal knife attack.

“We will never be able to come to terms with losing Lorna in this truly horrific and evil way.

“Every day we are tortured and tormented as we constantly relive in our heads what Lorna endured prior and during the attack, what she had to go through, what she saw, heard and experienced that day.

“Life without Lorna is lonely and empty.

“The family home misses her presence, her love, her laughter and her voice.

“There’s a massive void in our lives now, which has changed forever. This has had a profound and lasting impact on all of her family and friends.

“Every single second of every day we miss Lorna and are living a nightmare.”

Supt Antony Hart, Exeter, East and Mid Devon Commander, said: "This was a savage attack against an entirely innocent woman who had no way of defending herself.

"Our thoughts will always remain with Lorna’s family and friends.”