A man has admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility after he stabbed a man who was sleeping rough and struck him over the head with a concrete slab.

Nicholas Sutin was by a bench near the Tally Ho pub, North Finchley, when he was approached by Jermaine Myers, 37, who lived nearby in Woodhouse Road.

Myers was armed with a knife and stabbed Nicholas twice before picking up a concrete slab and striking him across the head, causing catastrophic injuries.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility at a hearing at the Old Bailey on March 6 and will be sentenced at the same court on March 13.

Police say they launched an investigation into Mr Sutin’s death after they were called to reports of a disturbance in High Road shortly after 4am on May 27, 2022.

Mr Sutin was found suffering stab and severe head injuries. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, he died at the scene of the attack.

During the police investigation, a forensic trace on the concrete slab quickly identified Myers as the suspect. He was arrested the following day at his address in nearby Woodhouse Road.

CCTV footage was later obtained which showed the whole incident, including Myers coming to and from the scene.

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Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “The level of violence inflicted on Nicholas Sutin was significant and sustained, leaving him no chance of survival.

“From what we know, Myers was not known to Nicholas and there was nothing in Nicholas’ behaviour that could suggest he in any way provoked the attack.

“The court has accepted Myers’ plea and the admission that his actions ended Nicholas’ life brings the judicial process to a close. I can only hope this closure can allow Nicholas’ family to move on from this horrific chapter.”