Man detained under hospital order after killing girlfriend in east London car
Gogoa Lois Tape admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility and carrying a knife after Kennedi Westcarr‑Sabaroche was found strangled; judge cited victim impact statements
A man who killed his partner in a car in east London and later confessed to his brother has been detained under a hospital order, the Inner London Crown Court has ruled.
Kennedi Westcarr‑Sabaroche, 25, was found dead in a Vauxhall on Whiston Road in Hackney on April 6 last year. The court heard she had been strangled. Her boyfriend, 28‑year‑old Gogoa Lois Tape, previously admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and an offence of carrying a knife.
Prosecutors told the court that Tape used cannabis and was suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time of the killing. He drove Ms Westcarr‑Sabaroche's body around before later confessing to his brother, according to the hearing.
During the sentencing hearing, the court heard that Ms Westcarr‑Sabaroche was a "bright and beautiful young woman" and that she had a young daughter with Tape. About 40 of the victim's family and friends attended the hearing. Judge Freya Newbery referenced victim impact statements from the woman's mother and sisters and described the effect on the family.
Tape was handed a hospital order under the Mental Health Act, which could see him detained in a secure hospital setting indefinitely while he receives treatment. The order follows his earlier plea admitting manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility, a legal finding that a defendant was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning at the time of the offence.
The case drew attention to the interplay of mental health and substance use in violent incidents. Court documents and submissions considered medical evidence about Tape's mental state and the role of cannabis use in the events leading to Ms Westcarr‑Sabaroche's death.
Family members delivered impact statements to the court describing their loss. The judge took those statements into account when imposing the hospital order, noting the severe and lasting harm to the victim's relatives and the community.
The sentence will be subject to periodic reviews as prescribed by the Mental Health Act and relevant clinical authorities. Further details about any future hearings or the duration of detention are a matter for the hospital and the legal framework governing restricted patients.
Police and court officials declined to comment beyond the information presented at the hearing. The case remains a subject of public interest in Hackney, where residents and acquaintances of the victim have spoken of their shock and grief following the death.