Horror: London woman beats landlord to death, stabs pet cat after hearing voices

A 34-year-old woman, Habiba Naveed, has been sentenced to indefinite detention under the Mental Health Act after pleading guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and animal cruelty, following the death of her landlord and their pet cat in a chilling incident in southeast London.

Naveed, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 24 July.

The court imposed a hospital order under Section 37 and a restriction order under Section 41, meaning she can be detained without limit until deemed no longer a risk to the public.

According to the Met Police, the victim, Christopher Brown, 72, a well-regarded solicitor and landlord, was found dead in his home on Polsted Road, SE6, on 15 August 2024.

He had suffered blunt force trauma to his head, neck, and chest. A post-mortem confirmed the injuries were consistent with a violent assault.

Officers responding to the scene also discovered the couple’s cat, Snow, dead from a stab wound to the neck. Blood was found throughout the property, including on a kitchen knife believed to be the murder weapon.

According to evidence presented in court, Naveed gave a disturbing account of the killing while on remand, telling a psychiatrist she had been hearing voices instructing her to kill Christopher, whom she believed to be possessed.

She described striking him with a pan, strangling him, and continuing the attack even after he pleaded with her to stop. Believing an evil spirit had entered the cat, she then killed Snow with a knife.

Naveed had been a tenant in Christopher’s home and was considered a friend. Her mental health condition, made worse by the illicit use of cannabis and failure to comply with prescribed medication, was a key factor in the tragic event.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn of Specialist Crime, who led the investigation, said:
“Christopher was a private, respected man who placed trust in someone he lived with. His life was taken in the most brutal circumstances, and he is deeply missed by his loved ones. This case highlights the dangers of unmanaged mental illness and drug misuse.”

Neighbours reported hearing a woman shouting inside the property before police arrived. Naveed was arrested later that day and initially charged with murder.

On 27 January, 2025, she formally pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

She will now remain under secure psychiatric care until mental health professionals determine she no longer poses a threat to herself or the public.