A MAN who trespassed into a school building with a knife prompting a major lockdown could spend the rest of his life in a psychiatric hospital, as a judge deemed him a 'risk to the public'.

Matthew Lennox, from West Drayton, went to St Joseph's Catholic High School in Slough on March 26 last year.

The 25 year old told staff that he was carrying a gun - sparking a major lockdown operation at the school.

Students were forced to lockdown in classrooms while waiting for police to arrive and eventually arrest Lennox, recovering a knife on his person.

He was subsequently deemed unfit for trial at Reading Crown Court.

Last month, Judge Emma Real tasked a jury with ruling whether Lennox brought the weapon onto school premises - not making a finding of guilt one way or the other.

After less than 24 hours of deliberation, jurors returned a positive verdict.

This came after they were shown dramatic footage of Lennox's arrest. While being held down by officers, Lennox exhibited bizarre behaviour.

At one point, he made an apparent reference to the George Floyd murder - and also asked officers: "Why didn't you shoot me?"

Today (February 23), Judge Real said that Lennox is a paranoid schizophrenic, who was previously referred to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme over a number of concerning remarks.

Since his arrest, he has been detained at a mental health unit - and his engagement with psychiatrists has been "very limited."

He has displayed an unwillingness to take medication to treat his condition.

Barrister Ed Culver, acting on Lennox's behalf, urged the court to impose a supervision order allowing him to be released from hospital and treated in the community.

He noted that Lennox had not physically harmed anyone - and warned that his lack of engagement with hospital staff should not be conflated with "risk" to the public.

He also cautioned against literal interpretations of the sexual and political fantasies that Lennox has expressed to mental health workers since being detained.

Mr Culver said: "The actual conduct he has shown are things that might be dealt with properly under a supervision order."

But Judge Real ruled that releasing Lennox into the community could endanger the public. She invoked her powers under Section 41 of the Mental Health Act, which allow for a person to be detained indefinitely at a psychiatric hospital.

This means that Lennox could be sectioned in such a facility for the rest of his life.

Rounding off proceedings, the judge paid tribute to staff at St Joseph's School, in Slough, who had acted to prevent an escalation of the situation after Lennox entered the premises.

She singled out one teacher in particular, who had taken Lennox out of the school corridors and into an adjacent room while they waited for police to arrive - putting their own safety at risk to protect pupils.