'Loving' Scottish dad killed at home in front of family by man he took in

A “loving” Scottish dad was killed in front of his family at their home in Somerset by a man he had taken in.

Graham Janes was experiencing mental health difficulties when he was taken in by Colin Lawson, from Edinburgh, and his family at an address in South Petherton on August 22 last year.

The 50-year-old fatally attacked Mr Lawson, who suffered from severely impaired vision, in front of his loved ones.

The 43-year-old died at the scene after sustaining multiple injuries, including stab wounds.

Dominic Redding, Colin’s stepson, suffered an injury to his arm after trying to intervene during the attack.

Janes, of Chard, was charged in connection with Mr Lawson’s murder but, following an assessment by consultant forensic psychiatrists, it was agreed his state of mental health substantially contributed to his actions at the time.

The 50-year-old pled guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, November 5.

‘Loving dad and stepdad’

Mr Lawson has been remembered by his family as a “kind, considerate and loving” dad and stepdad, who was “proudly Scottish”.

Josephine Redding, his partner, said his death has “broken her heart”.

She said: “I first met Colin in 2011, but we reconnected in 2020. We spent the next five years together, and they were the happiest years of my life.

“Colin was kind, loving, intelligent and caring. He always put other people before himself and had a way of making everyone feel valued, supported and safe. He was my partner, my best friend and the person I trusted more than anyone else. Losing Colin has broken my heart.

“For the first time in my life, I felt completely loved, safe and understood. He was my greatest source of support and the person I wanted to grow old with.

“We had hoped to marry and spend the rest of our lives together. As Colin was gradually losing his sight, we knew our time together was precious and never took a single day for granted.

“The future we planned, the memories we should have made and the life we should have shared have all been taken from us.”

Dominic Redding said: “Colin was the only real father figure I have ever had in my life.

“He made me feel safe, and I knew I could talk to him about anything. Whenever I had problems or was struggling, he would sit with me for hours, listen to me, and help me work things out. He understood me better than most people ever have. I looked up to him and saw him as both a dad and one of my best friends.

“Colin was also a great role model for my brother, my sister and my daughter. He always made time for her, playing with her, making her laugh and making her feel loved.

“The hardest thing for me is knowing that I can never talk to Colin again. Whenever I need advice, support or reassurance, he is no longer there. I miss him every single day. I am heartbroken that he has been taken from my mum, my brother, my sister, my daughter, and me.”

DC Stephanie Craig said Mr Lawson had done “everything he could” to keep his loved ones safe during the attack.

She said: “This has been an extremely sad and distressing case, but what has been incredibly clear since the beginning, is that Colin was loved deeply by his family who miss him terribly.

“Colin did everything he could in his final moments to keep his loved ones safe, and we are grateful for their courage in supporting this investigation, which will have been traumatic for them.

“We should also commend the courage of Dominic Redding, who bravely intervened in what will have been an incredibly frightening situation and was injured in doing so. We offer our condolences to Colin’s family at what will be an extremely emotional time, and we sincerely hope they’re able to rebuild their lives.”