Mass Killer To Be Held In Hospital (Press, 23 January 1981)

Bruce Lee, a 20-year-old man, has confessed to being responsible for a series of arson attacks that resulted in the deaths of 26 people over the past seven years. During proceedings at Leeds Crown Court, prosecutor Gerald Coles provided a harrowing account of Lee's actions, indicating that he would roam the streets carrying kerosene and matches, igniting fires impulsively when he felt a tingling sensation in his fingers. Lee's troubled background included being born the son of a prostitute, suffering from epilepsy, and enduring a loveless upbringing. These factors contributed to a tumultuous life in which Lee frequently faced difficulties, including partial paralysis and a deformed right hand. His feelings of anger and rejection appeared to manifest in a gruesome vendetta against society, as he sought revenge by committing acts that led to horrific loss of life. As a result of his plea, Lee was found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, attributable to his mental health issues. He faced 10 separate charges of arson linked to his brutal crimes, all committed in or around the city of Hull, where he resided. Judge Tudor Evans, recognising Lee's serious mental condition, ordered that he be detained indefinitely at Park Lane Psychiatric Hospital for the criminally insane, marking a grim conclusion to one of Britain's most tragic and violent criminal cases.

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