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Insanity plea in ex-Beatle attack case

George Harrison
Harrison: "Repeatedly stabbed and beaten."  

OXFORD, England -- The man accused of attempting to murder ex-Beatle George Harrison has denied the charge on the grounds he was insane.

Harrison was "repeatedly stabbed with a knife and severely beaten" during the attack on him and his wife Olivia at their home on December 30 last year, prosecuting lawyer Simon Mayo said.

Michael Abram, 34, of Merseyside, denies two counts of attempted murder by reason of insanity.

Mayo said: "His objective was to kill Mr. Harrison. There will be no dispute about his objective. The central issue to resolve in the case is whether at the time of the incident, the defendant was sane or insane."

Abram admits breaking into the Harrisons' Oxfordshire home.

Mayo told the jury at Oxford Crown Court that Abram stabbed the 57-year-old musician and beat him senseless with a table lamp.

"When Mrs. Harrison tried to come to [her husband's] aid, the defendant turned his attention on her and attacked her. Fortunately she escaped serious injury. But Harrison was not so lucky."

Olivia Harrison attempted to stop the attack by hitting Abram over the head with a poker. Abram, temporarily stunned, turned his attention to her, but when she ran away he resumed stabbing George Harrison.

"Mr Harrison was losing his strength and his arm fell to the side of his body," Mayo said.

"In that defenceless position the defendant began stabbing Mr Harrison in the chest, and that stabbing punctured his lung causing it to collapse.

"Seeing what was going on Mrs. Harrison once again came to her husband's aid with a table lamp."

Abram grabbed a length of electrical flex with which to attack her, the court was told, but Olivia Harrison again ran away.

The ordeal ended after police stormed the house and arrested Abram, Mayo said.

George Harrison and his wife were both taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital where he was treated for multiple stab wounds.



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