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| Streatham Hill stabbing: Mark Brazant admits attempted murder | Streatham Hill stabbing: Mark Brazant admits attempted murder |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A violent offender who stabbed a mother pushing a baby in a pram days after he was released from prison has admitted attempted murder. | A violent offender who stabbed a mother pushing a baby in a pram days after he was released from prison has admitted attempted murder. |
| Mark Brazant attacked Josephine Conlon, 36, in Streatham Hill, south London, on 30 December last year. | Mark Brazant attacked Josephine Conlon, 36, in Streatham Hill, south London, on 30 December last year. |
| The 44-year-old, who had been freed from jail on Christmas Eve, stabbed her seven times in the face and neck. | The 44-year-old, who had been freed from jail on Christmas Eve, stabbed her seven times in the face and neck. |
| At the Old Bailey, Brazant, of Ealing, pleaded guilty to attempted murder. He will be sentenced on 16 September. | At the Old Bailey, Brazant, of Ealing, pleaded guilty to attempted murder. He will be sentenced on 16 September. |
| During a previous trial, he had denied meaning to seriously injure Mrs Conlon and the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict. | During a previous trial, he had denied meaning to seriously injure Mrs Conlon and the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict. |
| However, the prosecution called for a retrial and Brazant changed his plea on Thursday. | |
| The original trial heard that Brazant, who has paranoid schizophrenia, had a history of attacking lone women for no reason and on 26 November carried out four assaults in one day. | |
| He pleaded guilty to three charges of battery and one of common assault, but was released on licence from Thameside Prison to spend a year on post-sentence supervision. | |
| 'Just started hitting me' | |
| But he was reported missing after he failed to turn up at a support house where he was meant to be staying. | |
| Jurors were told that on 30 December he began to follow Mrs Conlon along Downton Avenue as she was walking home and then shoved her in the back. | |
| She told the court she thought "he was going to rape me" but "then he didn't, he just started hitting me". | |
| Mrs Conlon said she then realised she was being stabbed but "I managed to get up on my feet and that's when he turned and ran away". | |
| On 2 January, Brazant walked into a police station holding a knife and said he had "stabbed a person on the street". | |
| During the trial he denied he had intended to kill Mrs Conlon and said he had been hearing voices telling him to hurt someone. | |
| Brazant entered his guilty plea via video link from Three Bridges medium secure hospital. | |
| He was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing next month. |