A "dangerous" paranoid schizophrenic has been jailed for life for stabbing a university lecturer to death in a random attack.

Mark Loveridge, 39, had been cared for in the community since 2015 even though he had a history of violence and drug abuse which made his mental health worse.

He had stopped taking medication before he carried out unprovoked knife attacks on two young men as they made their way to work on January 19 last year

Daniel Young, 30, died after being stabbed in the stomach in a park near Morden Tube station.

He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Young by diminished responsibility and to wounding the second victim with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC rejected a defence plea for a hospital order, saying Loveridge was a "dangerous" man and posed a "high risk" in the future.

He handed Loveridge a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years, which will be served in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital until he is well enough to be transferred to jail.

Loveridge first stabbed a 23-year-old victim in the buttocks as he put tools into his car near the defendant's home in Mitcham.

He then set upon Mr Young, who had been on his way to start the second day of his "dream job" as a teaching fellow in tourism and hospitality at Coventry University London Campus.

In between the attacks, the part-time gardening assistant had phoned his boss to say he was going to be late.

Afterwards, Loveridge threw the 10cm bloodstained blade into bushes in Kendor Gardens and continued on his way to work.

Police recovered the knife from the park and "cutting-edge" tests revealed it had DNA on it belonging to both victims and their attacker.

Days later, Loveridge was detained following a struggle with police officers.

In custody, he told a psychiatrist he had been hearing voices and was carrying a knife out of "habit".

The court heard Loveridge had a drug conviction, a history of violence, and had taken cocaine, cannabis and amphetamines, which made his mental condition worse.

Detective Inspector Mick Norman of Scotland Yard said: "Mr Loveridge was a man who has a psychiatric history prior to the offences.

"He had been treated in the community. It's not for me to comment on whether that was the right or wrong thing."

But he added: "He is a dangerous man. He will hopefully be removed to a place where he can be treated and a place where he is no longer a danger to the public."

Devin Kharran, London CPS reviewing lawyer said: “This was a tragic and senseless killing. Daniel Young was walking through a park to an underground station to start his second day of a new job when he was attacked.

“Two independent psychiatric experts both agreed that Loveridge was mentally impaired at the time of the killing. As a result the CPS carefully considered this evidence and took the decision to accept a plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

“This has been an incredibly difficult time for Mr Young’s family and our thoughts remain with them at this time."