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A mentally disturbed man who brutally murdered a homeless individual with a barbell has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order. Evan Lyons, 27, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Christopher Phillips, 42. The attack occurred at Tennyson Court flats in Felling, Gateshead, where Lyons lived and where Phillips had been seeking shelter.
Mr. Phillips was found deceased on the morning of August 14, 2023, on a sixth-floor landing by a resident. A five-foot metal weight training bar, confirmed by forensic testing to be the murder weapon, was recovered from Lyons’ mother’s flat. The bar bore the victim’s blood and the killer's DNA. A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr. Phillips died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck, sustaining multiple skull and jaw fractures. The court was told that Mr. Phillips had no defensive injuries, suggesting he was likely asleep or rendered unconscious by the first blow. The judge noted that Mr. Phillips had various drugs in his system at the time of his death, which may have contributed to his state.
A History of Violence
This tragic killing was not an isolated incident for Lyons. The court heard details of two other violent, unprovoked attacks. On May 26, 2023, Lyons assaulted a 45-year-old asylum seeker with a pizza slicer outside the same block of flats, making racist threats and leaving the victim with a 1cm wound under his lip.
While awaiting a bed at Rampton Hospital for these offenses and detained at HMP Durham, Lyons committed another assault on February 24, 2024. During a game of pool with another inmate, he launched an unprovoked attack, hitting the man in the face with a pool cue and leaving him permanently blind in one eye. When asked why he did it, Lyons simply stated, "Because I wanted to."
Lyons has a significant criminal history, with 89 previous convictions, including for attempted robbery, threatening with a knife, and drug and weapon possession. At the time of the murder, he was serving a suspended sentence for two counts of possessing a bladed article.
Mental Health and Legal Proceedings
Lyons, who had stopped taking his prescribed medication for paranoid schizophrenia, initially told police he had killed someone, but then claimed he was "only joking." Medical experts testified that he remains psychotic and poses a significant risk to the public. The court heard that his paranoid schizophrenia is severe and has been unresponsive to treatment or medication.
Lyons' defense, led by Jamie Hill KC, stated that his client has expressed some remorse, so far as his illness allows him to comprehend his actions. However, Judge Edward Bindloss deemed Lyons dangerous and issued a Hospital Order with a restriction. This means he will be held indefinitely in a secure hospital, such as Rampton, until he is no longer considered a threat, a determination that may never be made.
This case highlights the complex and challenging intersection of severe mental illness, substance abuse, and public safety.
