Bipolar man's arson conviction is quashed

A psychiatric patient who was jailed indefinitely for an arson attack in a London hospital has had his conviction quashed.

Judges at the Court of Appeal changed Joe Paraskeva's prison sentence to a hospital order.

Mr Paraskeva, 22, of Stoke Newington, east London and who has bipolar disorder, admitted arson and was jailed for public protection in April 2011.

The court heard no medical report was produced at sentencing as he refused to leave his cell to be assessed, which the judge said was due to Mr Paraskeva's mental illness.