A failed asylum seeker has been retained indefinitely at a top security psychiatric hospital after a court ruled he was a 'danger to the public’ after killing his 'grandmother'.

Judge Rodney Jameson said that Shahin Darvish-Narenjbon, 35, was responsible for the brutal death of Brenda Blainey at her home in Thornton-le-Dale and the danger he posed to the public was serious and potentially lifelong.

Darvish-Narenjbon received a hospital order with a restriction that he only be released with the approval of the Parole Board at Leeds Crown Court (today) after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Mrs Blainey by reason of diminished responsibility.

The court heard Darvish-Narenjbon had brutally killed Mrs Blainey with a  kitchen knife during a psychotic incident while she was on the phone making a grocery order.

Judge Jameson described Mrs Blainey as a frail and suffering from the early stages of dementia.

"You killed her in her own home using a kitchen knife with extreme violence and have never given any clear account of what you did."

"After killing Mrs Blainey you cleaned the knife so thoroughly it was difficult to identify the one you had used. You then called 999 claiming to have seen two cars leaving from outside the house.

"You were arrested but it was clear you were having a psychotic episode and were not fit for interviewing."

Judge Jameson said Mrs Blainey had suffered injuries to her head after Darvish-Narenjbon banged her head on the kitchen floor before cutting her throat, slapping her face and stabbing her chest.

The Iranian-born was originally charged with Mrs Blainey’s murder.

The court was told that a number of reports had been submitted by forensic psychiatrists which concluded Darvish-Narenjbon was suffering a severe mental illness at the time of the killing.

He believed he had been authorised to kill Mrs Blainey as forces ranged against him resulting in the need to protect himself.

Judge Jameson said despite this Darvish-Narenjbon remained responsible for the dreadful and brutal way he had killed Mrs Blainey and the grief and suffering caused to her friends and family.

Darvish-Narenjbon had come to the UK from Iran when he was 15 and in 2008 went to America where he showed the first signs of mental illness and was admitted to an institution for treatment.

He later returned to this country and met Mrs Blainey who had taken a kindly interest in him and had invited him to visit her in her home.

By 2015, when his permission to remain the country ran out, he was visiting her regularly and she had turned one of her rooms into his bedroom. She also gave him a study, food, and the use of a car.

Darvish-Narenjbon then applied for asylum, but that was refused, as was his appeal against the decision.

In 2016, he damaged a door in her home in an argument with her when his mental state deteriorated and in 2020, he set up a limited company using her home as its registered address.

On January 5, 2022 he had then killed Mrs Blainey who has been described as a 'grandmother' to him in her own home.

North Yorkshire Police Acting Detective Superintendent, Graeme Wright, said: “This is an incredibly tragic incident in which Brenda lost her life after showing immense kindness to a young man who she identified was in need of support.

“Brenda was well-known in the local community for her compassion in helping people and had taken Darvish-Narenjbon into her home, giving him a place to live and treating him as a member of her family.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with Brenda’s family and I hope that the conclusion of this case today can give them some closure.”

A lifelong restraining order preventing him from contacting Mrs Blainey’s family by any means was also imposed. and Darvish-Narenjbon will be deported to Iran if he is ever deemed fit for release.