My dad was killed in a random attack - you would not wish that on anyone

"I'd like it to never happen to another family again, but that's idealistic. I think things need to change, huge changes need to be made."

Gerard Ring, 82, died three days after he was stabbed in his own front garden by Julian Donoher, a man with a history of mental health problems including schizoaffective disorder.

Sapphire Greatorex, Ring's daughter, has now called for tighter mental health restrictions after Donoher was given an indefinite hospital order on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

"I don't think it should be someone like me and the next person and the next person saying the same things over and over again," she said.

"There needs to be tighter mental health restrictions, they need to be more monitored."

Ring died in hospital after he was stabbed outside his home in Whitecross Gardens, off Kedleston Road in Derby, on 6 September 2025.

Donoher, 51, was detained under the Mental Health Act on Tuesday after he was sentenced at Derby Crown Court.

He lived on the same street as his victim, had a history of mental health problems including bipolar disorder, ADHD and depression, and of substance misuse, the court heard.

The court was also told Donoher had multiple convictions for offending, which included "minor violence" and drug possession.

In the weeks before the fatal attack, his family and neighbours had reported Donoher had been "acting strange" and sending text messages "that didn't seem to make sense".

One said they believed he had not been taking his medication for about nine months.

Donoher and his victim, a retired man living with blood cancer who had limited mobility, did not know each other aside from being neighbours.

When Ring called 999 after the attack, he told call handlers he had "been stabbed by a man he did not know".

The court heard Donoher had suffered a delusion that Ring was a paedophile, and that he had been told by police he needed to "take out" what he said were "wrong 'uns".

The court heard after the "brutal" attack, Donoher told neighbours he had "killed the paedophile" and that he had already killed 66 people as part of this crusade, prosecutor Mark Heywood KC said.

Heywood added: "Unambiguously, there is no truth in any such suggestion. These were delusional comments."

Greatorex said in hospital that her dad told her: "He just came at me and wanted to kill me, I tried to defend myself."

She said: "It broke my heart. When he said it he was like a child, he was absolutely terrified. I think he knew he was going to die.

"With him having cancer you sort of pre-plan. But he shouldn't have died that way. He died frightened to death.

"You're just in a state of shock, it's like living a waking nightmare - you're hoping it's not real. You wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Daughter Tracy Ring spoke in court ahead of the sentencing to call for a custodial sentence.

She said: "Nobody should ever have to watch the horror we did. I'm so hurt and in so much pain having to watch my Irish eyes daddy in pain for four days.

"It affects each and every one of us.

"We need to make a stand against knife crime."

A number of family statements were read out in court, while Ring's daughter Kelly Charles took the stand and said: "The anger I feel is overwhelming. It's like it's stuck in my heart and I daren't let it out because I don't know if I will ever be able to come back from that place.

"This last year has added insult to injury.

"This has all been about him [Donoher], and not my father who should be the centre of all of this."

The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.

Listen to BBC Radio Derby on Sounds and follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.