Andrew Hague (right) attacked Simon Wilkinson (left) in August 2022 (Picture: South Yorkshire Police)
A man who beat his neighbour to death for calling him a ‘nonce b*****d’ has been jailed for life.
Andrew Hague used a bag of Pokémon cards to murder Simon Wilkinson outside his flat in August last year.
Sheffield Crown Court was told the now 31-year-old punched and stamped on the dad-of-one in a sustained assault.
He then walked away only to return to attack Mr Wilkinson again using a piece of wood to beat him around the head, leading to his tragic death at the scene.
Simon Wilkinson died at the scene from his catastrophic injuries (Picture: South Yorkshire Police)
Neighbours who witnessed the attack heard a loud crash and then heard Hague shouting: ‘You called me a f*****g nonce. Come out here and fight like a man.’
Friends and family had described the victim as a ‘friendly and funny’ man who had a daughter who has just turned 18.
After his arrest, Hague told police that, after the initial attack, he had ‘felt bad’ for Mr Wilkinson and had returned to the scene in order to try to end his life.
Judge Sarah Wright said that in his ‘deluded state’, he believed this to be an ‘act of mercy’.
Hague pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to life behind bars (Picture: South Yorkshire Police)
She described the attack with the makeshift weapon as ‘ferocious and brutal’, and said the violence had been high and prolonged.
Hague had a history of mental health issues and had past convictions for violence, the court heard.
But his illness was not severe enough for a defence of diminished responsibility or insanity.
The court was told the murderer had not been taking his medication, but instead had been ‘self-medicating’ with cannabis and alcohol.
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Judge Wright stressed this case was a ‘stark reminder’ of the dangers of cannabis use in such circumstances.
Hague pleaded guilty earlier this year to murdering Mr Wilkinson. Today the judge sentenced him to a life sentence with a minimum term of 17 years.
She recommended that he be readmitted to Rampton secure hospital where he has been undergoing treatment since his arrest.
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The victim’s daughter had just turned 18.