Man's killer detained on hospital order

A 49-year-old man has been detained under a hospital order after a trial of facts found he had killed another man.

Brett Mann, from Reading, killed 40-year-old Gerard Coulter at a property in Maldon Close, in the town, on 2 January 2025, a jury at Reading Crown Court concluded on Tuesday.

Having been charged in the days following the stabbing, the court heard in May that Mann was not fit to plead.

Mann has been indefinitely detained under a hospital order.

Thames Valley Police previously said the pair were known to each other.

Officers were called to the house by South Central Ambulance Service shortly before 23:40 GMT.

The force said the victim, who had several stab wounds, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement released by police following his death, Mr Coulter's family said his loss had been "heartbreaking".

The family said: "As a son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and uncle, he brought love and light into our lives in ways that words can scarcely describe.

"His passing was sudden and violent, something no-one deserves, least of all someone as kind and gentle as Gerard.

"His belief in the goodness of others and his unwavering hope in life's possibilities made him a rare and beautiful presence in this world."

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