Man detained for killing woman in her home

A man who killed a mother in her home has been detained in a secure hospital for an unlimited time to protect the public.

Brian Simpson, 65, of Nene Court, Spalding, was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court earlier after a jury found he carried out the act of killing Kristine Sparane.

Sparane, 37, was found by police covered in blood on a bed at her flat in Winsover Road, Spalding, on 26 November 2024. She had sustained a number of blunt force injuries to her head and a severe skull fracture.

Simpson was initially charged with murder but a trial of facts had to be held in May 2025 after he was deemed unfit to face a criminal trial due to his mental health.

The sentencing hearing heard Simpson had been examined by two consultant psychiatrists who concluded he was suitable for a restricted hospital order.

Dr Muthusamy Natarajan, the clinician responsible for Simpson until August, said Simpson had a persistent delusional disorder and there had been no significant change in his presentation.

Passing sentence on Simpson, who declined to watch the hearing from the hospital he is being treated, Judge Simon Hirst said he was satisfied Simpson was suffering from the disorder.

Judge Hirst ordered Simpson to be detained under a restricted hospital order, which means there is no limit on the time he can be held in a secure hospital.

"It is necessary to protect the public from serious harm and it is not possible to say how long for," Judge Hirst explained.

The trial of facts in May 2025 was to determine whether Simpson killed Sparane but could not result in a criminal conviction.

After hearing evidence from witnesses, including Home Office pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton, who carried out the post-mortem examination, as well as a police officer who attended the incident, the jury decided Simpson was responsible for her death.

Dr Hamilton explained the 37-year-old victim had suffered a number of lacerations to her head consistent with blunt force rather than a bladed object.

"It would have to be at least four heavy blows, most likely more," he said.

Dr Hamilton also agreed the injuries were consistent with Sparane's head being shut in a door.

Blue specks of paint found on her skull were also consistent with a large pepper mill recovered during the investigation, the court heard.

Bruising on her hands suggested she had been trying to defend herself, Dr Hamilton added.

A friend described Sparane as "naive around men", adding that although Simpson used a mobility scooter she had seen him standing and walking.

Other colleagues said Sparane had described him as a "nuisance".

Jurors heard that police found Simpson lying face-down on a bedroom floor wearing only his trousers and next to a blood-coated kitchen knife.

An uninjured, young child was also present in the room.

Officers initially believed Simpson, of Nene Court, Spalding, was dead but he was later heard making comments including, "they're coming to kill me", before being taken to hospital.

Criminal proceedings can be resumed against Simpson if he is ever deemed fit enough to go before a court.

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