Bidve killer sadistic, says psychologist

A Briton standing trial for the killing of Anuj Bidve had an anti-social personality disorder with psychopathic and sadistic features and acted impulsively when he killed the Indian student, a psychologist who assessed him has said.

Kiaran Stapleton, 21, who previously called himself 'Psycho' Stapleton at a court hearing, was put through several personality assessments by defence psychologist Sanya Krljes, who gave evidence at the ongoing trial in the Manchester Crown Court.

Stapleton has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Bidve's parents are attending the trial.

Bidve, 23, a postgraduate student at Lancaster University, was shot dead on December 26 last year.

The psychologist said that Stapleton's break-up with his girlfriend, and separation from his daughter would have made him very angry.

He was holding on to his anger and rage over his girlfriend and acted impulsively in the worst imaginable way when he killed Bidve, Krljes said.

This was a man who could not tell if he was angry or not -he acted impulsively in the worst imaginable way, she said.

Stating that Stapleton scored highly on the sadistic aggressive scale, Krljes said the traits showed by Stapleton during interviews included sadistic, depressive, anti-social, impulsive and passive aggression.

The psychologist had concluded that Stapleton had an anti-social personality disorder with psychopathic and sadistic features.