Widow’s anger at why schizophrenic had serious knife charges dropped six days before he stabbed her husband to death
Dr Jeroen Ensink was repeatedly knifed by Femi Nandap outside his home as he went out to post cards announcing the birth of his first daughter
THE widow of a lecturer stabbed to death by mentally ill man today demanded to know why he was free to kill, before he was locked up indefinitely.
Renowned academic Dr Jeroen Ensink, 41, was attacked by Femi Nandap as he left his flat to post cards announcing the birth of his daughter Fleur, 11 days before.
Today at the Old Bailey, Nandap, who thought he was the "black messiah" was sentenced to an indeterminate hospital order under the Mental Health Act.
Dr Ensink's wife spoke in court and said: "I will miss the what could have been. I will miss the life I was supposed to have.
"Not only was the love of my life taken from me, but with him also all of our hopes and dreams."
Judge Nicholas Hilliard spoke of Dr Ensink and his newborn baby when sentencing Nandap.
He said: "He was in any view a truly remarkable man.
"This inspirational man had worked to improve the lives of millions of people.
"It is a tragic irony in this case that a man who devoted his life to helping people who he would never know or meet was himself killed by a complete stranger.
"Since the killing the family have been left bewildered, fearful and confused, and there is a daughter who will never know her father."
"Based on the evidence I have heard I am satisfied he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
"Your culpability for the killing, arising as it is, is low. It was driven by your mental illness."
Six days before the killing, Nandap, 23, had charges of having a knife and assaulting a police officer dropped in court due to "insufficient evidence".
He had also breached his earlier bail conditions by going to Nigeria, raising the question of why he was not also prosecuted for that.
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Dr Ensink's wife Nadja was at home with the baby and when he failed to return went outside to find the road cordoned off.
Today she told the : “I have some questions which need to be answered. I can’t understand why he was given bail so easily.”
Arriving at the Old Bailey with her baby daughter she said: “Why his mental health wasn’t picked up or people weren’t aware of anything? I don’t want to accuse anyone, but why were the charges dropped, how this could have happened?”
The court also heard from Dr Samrat Sengupta from Broadmoor Prison who said Nigerian-born Nandap became ill after going to Boston, America, to study accountancy where he started smoking cannabis.
He said: "Since talking to other members of his family we have discovered that there is a history of mental illness in his family.
"The cannabis triggered a psychotic illness. He will continue to be very ill.
"This is a non violent man who turned into a violent man carrying a knife. He says he was receiving messages to kill as well.
"He had become someone who was out of character."
The cards proud new father Dr Ensink had been carrying were strewn on the pavement stained with his blood.
At an earlier hearing, Nandap, from Woolwich, south London, pleaded guilty to Dr Ensink's manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC said the defendant, who is being held at Broadmoor secure hospital, had suffered an "abnormality of mental function at that time".
Mrs Ensink-Teich, who has moved back to her native Holland, attended the Old Bailey sentencing with her baby daughter.
Today she said: "There are no winners in this case.
"If a person with a history of mental health problems is found wandering about with a knife, and attacks a police officer, then that person must be referred to a secure unit for proper assessment and treatment and not given bail so easily.
"This represents a failure of the health and judicial system that should protect the public and care for those with severe mental illness.
"Why was this individual bailed after assaulting a police officer and carrying a knife in public?
"How could this individual who is mentally unwell and and armed with knives have been at liberty on the day he killed my husband.
"Why on the 23 December did the CPS drop the knife possession and assault charges against this individual just six days before he killed my Jeroen?
Finally she asked: "Will those who made that decision in someway be held accountable?"
Ms Ensink-Teich, a yoga teacher, added: "Jeroen was such a good man. He was the love of my life. What we had was so special, he was the most devoted husband and father.
"He was my everything and I was his everything. The last 10 months have been such a hard, unbelievable journey.
“In order for me to be the best mum possible I can’t hold these feelings inside me. My daughter is my everything. I want to protect her from all of this.”
Dr Ensink, who worked at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was a renowned water engineer and a dedicated humanitarian committed to improving access to water and sanitation in deprived countries.
Nandap, of Woolwich, south east London, was detained under the Mental Health act under section 37 and 41.
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