Mother of woman killed by boyfriend ‘absolutely betrayed’ by justice system

Local TV

Gogoa Lois Tape, 28, was detained under the Mental Health Act on Monday for strangling 25-year-old Kennedi Westcarr-Sabaroche in Hackney, east London, in April last year and driving her body around before confessing to his brother hours later that he had killed her.

Transcript

00:00On Monday, 28-year-old Vigua Louis Tape was detained under the Mental Health Act for strangling

00:1125-year-old Kennedy Westcar Sabaroche in Hackney in April last year before proceeding to drive her

00:19body around the area and ultimately confessing to his brother the crime. Hours later, Tape was

00:27accused of murder, but a plea of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility was accepted

00:35by the prosecutors. The court heard how it became apparent that the defendant's mental health had

00:44declined from 2023, with Tape becoming paranoid and then jealous. He had some contact with mental

00:52health services that year and was warned to abstain from cannabis, which he had smoked since 2014.

01:02About 40 of the victim's loved ones sat in the well of the court at the Inner London Crown Court as

01:10Tape was sentenced, with some walking out when statements by members of the defendant's family

01:18were read by defence, describing him as a loving person before his mental health deteriorated.

01:26Judge Freya Newbury, who handed Tape a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act,

01:34with a restriction order under Section 41, which means he can be detained indefinitely, said

01:42he was at the time of the attack an undiagnosed schizophrenic, who held paranoid and persecutory

01:52delusions, which substantially impaired his judgement and exercise of self-control.

01:59Judge Newbury referenced the victim impact statement Miss Westcott-Saborosh's mother and sisters

02:08previously made, telling Tape in court how the victim was a bright and beautiful young woman and still only 25.

02:17The judge added how her two-year-old daughter is now left motherless and the victim of what the defendant did.

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