Man guilty of murdering police officer

A Nigerian man was convicted today of stabbing to death a police officer who had tried to arrest him.

Tennyson Obih, 29, knifed police constable Jonathan Henry twice in the chest after he responded to an incident in Luton town centre in June, 2007.

Luton Crown Court heard that the Henry, a 36-year-old married father-of-one, was called out after Obih stabbed window cleaner Stephen Chamberlain.

The 29-year-old then stabbed the officer as he tried to arrest him, and lashed out at another window cleaner, David Knight, leaving him injured.

A baton round and stun gun shot failed to stop Obih, who was finally brought down by a second stun gun shot.

Obih, who has been detained in a secure mental hospital since his arrest, had admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but was found guilty of murder, the Press Association reported.

The court was told he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after suffering problems from abusing alcohol and cannabis, but prosecutors said he was not in an acute phase of the illness at the time he carried out the attacks.

After Henry's murder, his family said the officer had died doing the job he loved.

"He joined the police force because he wanted to make a difference and help people," said his widow Mary.