Tenerife accused was in UK hospital

A man accused of beheading a British grandmother in a shop in Tenerife had been released from a psychiatric unit in the UK.

Deyan Deyanov, 28, was reportedly sectioned under the Mental Health Act for his own safety last summer and held in the Ablett Psychiatric Unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital in North Wales.

But by last October he was out, and last week he stalked and allegedly murdered Jennifer Mills-Westley, 60, in the popular holiday resort of Los Cristianos.

Today a statement from health officials confirmed Deyanov was detained in North Wales but gave few further details, citing patient confidentiality as the reason.

It is not clear if he was allowed to leave the psychiatric unit after being assessed as safe or absconded.

Officials would not say if an inquiry has been launched.

A spokeswoman for the University Health Board, Ysbyty Gwynedd, said in a prepared statement: "The health board can confirm that it provided assistance to North Wales Police in relation to a person detained for his own safety in the summer of 2010.

"The health board has had no further contact with this client since October last year."

The Sun reported today that Deyanov, a Bulgarian national, was sectioned during a visit to see relatives in the UK and quoted two of his ex-girlfriends claiming he was a heavy drug user.

Ms Mills-Westley, originally from Norwich, Norfolk, was inside a Chinese-owned shop on Avenida Juan Carlos when she was viciously stabbed and decapitated.

Since the attack on Friday morning, it has emerged that a terrified Ms Mills-Westley had sought refuge at a local employment centre just minutes before she was killed.

Witnesses said her killer left the store clutching her head and was reportedly saying "God is on earth".

The grandmother of five had been living in Tenerife after retiring from her job as a road safety officer with Norfolk County Council.

Reports from Tenerife suggest Deyanov had previously received psychiatric treatment on the island.

Regional newspaper La Opinion reported that he was released from a local hospital in February after being involved in violent incidents.

The paper also said a judge issued a search and arrest order for Deyanov on May 10, just three days before the killing and Deyanov had been in a fight recently where he appeared to be on drugs.

Deyanov was arrested on suspicion of murder and is now being held at a psychiatric unit in Tenerife.