A man who fatally stabbed Sydney real-estate agent and father-to-be Vissa Esan had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital just two days earlier.
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In the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, Justice Geoffrey Bellew found Adam James Brewer, 33, not guilty of murdering Mr Esan on March 13, 2014, on the grounds of mental illness.
He ordered that Mr Brewer be detained in a mental health facility until the Mental Health Review Tribunal deemed him fit for release.
During a trial this month, held before Justice Bellew alone, the court heard Mr Brewer had a long history of mental illness, including paranoid delusions and schizophrenia.
His mental illness had been complicated by longstanding drug abuse, including the use of cannabis, methylamphetamine, alcohol, heroin and cocaine.
Mr Brewer began displaying behavioural problems at the age of nine, smoking cannabis at 12 and injecting heroin at 15. He had used methylamphetamine, known as ice, in the hours before he attacked Mr Esan.
He had been discharged from Cumberland Hospital at Westmead two days earlier after an inpatient stay for his schizophrenic illness.
He had had several admissions to psychiatric wards in the months leading up to the attack.
Mr Esan was sweeping the real-estate agency where he worked in Pendle Way, Pendle Hill, when he was approached by Mr Brewer about 8am.
CCTV footage showed the pair arguing and struggling. Mr Brewer then left the arcade but returned and the pair engaged in a further fight.
Mr Esan tried to defend himself with a broom but dropped it and, as he bent down to pick it up, was hit by Mr Brewer.
Mr Brewer then stabbed Mr Esan with a knife he was carrying.
Mr Esan suffered a fatal stab wound to the heart as well as wounds to his left armpit, elbow and fingers.
Two expert forensic psychiatrists - Dr Jeremy O'Dea for the Crown and Dr Stephen Allnutt for the defence - said Mr Brewer was suffering from a psychotic illness at the time and could be found not guilty of murder.
Justice Bellew accepted their opinions.
Mr Brewer's barrister, Peter Skinner, told the court his client did not want to run a defence of mental illness because Mr Brewer thought he was "normal" at the time of the incident.
Mr Brewer claimed he acted in self-defence after Mr Esan attacked him with the broom.
However, Mr Skinner said, notwithstanding Mr Brewer's instructions, the court should address the evidence of mental illness before looking at the potential defence of self-defence or the partial defence of provocation.
Dr Allnutt said Mr Brewer's opinion that he was "normal" was consistent with a lack of insight displayed by those experiencing psychosis.
Mr Esan's wife, Shanika Dona, was pregnant with their son at the time of her husband's death.
Justice Bellew extended his sympathy for the family's "sudden and indescribable loss".
Outside the court Ms Dona said she accepted the verdict of not guilty on the grounds of mental illness but said the past 18 months had been been "so tough".
"I lost him, my son lost him and [there has been] the loss of the father and son relationship," Ms Dona said.
"I've got a beautiful boy by him to remember his face so I see him through my son."
