PARANOID schizophrenic Timothy Crook could spend the rest of his days in hospital after being handed a life sentence for the brutal killings of his elderly parents eight years ago.

At a second trial examining the events of the weekend of July 7, 2007, a jury at Bristol Crown Court found 51-year-old Crook guilty of two counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. They acquitted him on the indictment of murder.

Crook had previously been deemed unfit to plead, and has spent more than eight years on remand or in Rampton high security psychiatric hospital, where he will now return to see out the remainder of his minimum term of 16 years.

The jury found Crook had bludgeoned Robert, 83, and Elsie, 76, violently and brutally in their own bedroom, before strangling each with a belt.

He bundled their bodies into their new Nissan Micra and drove them to his home in Foxglove Way, Lincoln, where he placed them in his overgrown back garden, concealed by a carefully packed suitcase.

Questioned of their whereabouts when he returned to Swindon, Crook unravelled various yarns to try to cover his tracks, attempting to wash the blood from the bedroom and his clothes.

To this day, he has denied ever killing his parents or being mentally ill, speaking of conspiracies by the police to pin the killings on him.

Andrew Langdon QC, prosecuting, told the court there should be no question of a hospital order for Crook to serve his sentence receiving treatment.

"There is a possibility of a relapse into violent crime," he said. "If he is released and treatment is more sporadic, the illness is still a heavily relevant factor.

"There are two aggravating factors of this case, mainly the vulnerability of each of the victims due to their age and the concealment of their bodies."

Dr Kim Page, forensic psychologist at Rampton Hospital, told the court Crook poses a risk of deterioration in his mental health, of violence to others, use of weapons and non-compliance with treatment, if released.

Mr Justice Nicholas Hamblen, sentencing Crook, imposed a life sentence with a hospital order, with a minimum term of 16 years - eight years and 13 days of that has been covered as time served.

He added Crook would never be released unless authorities are confident he is well and poses no risk to the public.

"You have been convicted of the manslaughter of your parents by reason of diminished responsibility," he said.

"They were devoted parents who had spent much of their lives looking after you. Although elderly they were still active and had close friends and family.

"It was at their Swindon home that on July 7, you killed them. The killings were brutal. It is not known what triggered this murderous attack, but it was unprovoked.

"At all times you denied killing your parents or that you were mentally ill."

Mr Justice Hamblen also detailed Crook's lengthy struggles with his mental health.

"You started to exhibit difficulties within work in your mid-30s," he said. "You became preoccupied with a female colleague and she pursued charges against you.

"After losing your employment you became increasingly preoccupied with beliefs you were being persecuted by police officers in Lincoln. You attended police officers homes near where you lived and made abusive gestures towards them.

"Named individuals could be a risk from you, including your sister and police officers involved in this case. You continue to believe there is a conspiracy against you involving police, and you have a complete lack of insight. The risks you pose remain high, and your response to treatment has been limited.

"It is significant that following the killing of your parents you went to considerable lengths to cover up what you had done. This reflects a degree of calculation on your part.

"You pose a danger to the public for an unpredictable period of time. You will not be released until you have served your minimum term of at least 16 years and the authorities are satisfied you no longer pose a danger to the public for any reason."

Following the sentencing, DCI Deb Smith, of Wiltshire Police, said: "Hopefully today is the final chapter in what has been a harrowing time for Robert and Elsie’s daughter Janice Lawrence and the family.

"They've had to deal with the devastating consequences of Timothy Crook’s actions as well as a long drawn out process, due to the fact that the defendant was not mentally well enough to stand trial eight years ago.

"At no time has he accepted either the killing of his parents or admitted that he is suffering from any illness. This has had a considerable effect and shown its toll on the family, and I would like to commend them, and really hope they can take some comfort from this and move forward."

Hannah Squire, Crown Advocate for Crown Prosecution Service Wessex, said: "Timothy Crook had previously been found unfit to stand trial for the death of his parents at a hearing at Bristol Crown Court in December 2008.

"He has been detained since that date at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire. His health has improved, hence why it has now been possible for this trial to take place almost exactly eight years after the death of his parents.

"Our thoughts are with Mr and Mrs Crook’s family and friends and we hope that this conviction brings justice and closure for them”.