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This CCTV footage shows a paranoid schizophrenic enjoying a cigarette just ONE MINUTE before he brutally killed a care worker in a psychiatric hospital.

Ryan Matthews looked relaxed and at ease with himself as he leaned against a wall in the exercise yard at Gloucester's Wotton Lawn Hospital.

But his calm behaviour was in stark contrast to the savage attack moments later which left Sharon Wall, 53, dead.

The triple-killer was today sentenced to a whole-life order following the brutal killing.

This video shows the killer minutes before the 7.30am stabbing on July 9 last year.

Police believe that no more than a minute after going back inside the Montpellier Unit, Matthews, 62, plunged a kitchen knife twice into Mrs Wall's back in the ward's central corridor.

The 53-year-old healthcare assistant, who had spent the best part of 20 years working with the mentally ill, was 30 minutes into her July 9 shift, doing her usual rounds and checking on patients in rooms in the "low secure" unit.

(Image: PA)

The alarm that brought staff running to the scene was triggered in Matthews' room, where he was calmly waiting for people to arrive. Police quickly found the knife in the room and arrested him.

Colleague and paramedics fought to save Ms Wall, from the Tuffley area of Gloucester, before she was taken to the city's Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. She died from her injuries an hour after being stabbed.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Porter, who led the investigation, said Matthews had given police no explanation as to why he did it, saying: "We interviewed Ryan Matthews over three days, seven interviews, and he never answered a single question."

But Mr Porter added: "Shortly before the attack, Matthews had made it known that he did not want to be transferred to Ty Catrin (Hospital) in Cardiff. On the day of the attack it was the very same day he was going to be moved to that hospital.

"The day before he did make specific mention that he would not be going.

(Image: PA)

"And that is why I do not believe that Sharon was the targeted individual he wanted to murder.

"She just happened, unfortunately, to be the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time."

There was CCTV covering the corridor where the attack happened but while it could be seen in a staff area it was not being recorded. But police have said while footage would have helped their investigation it would not have prevented her death.

The effect of her brutal killing on her friends and family has been devastating, the detective added.

"They have found this - her daughter in particular has found this - particularly hard. I have met her on a number of occasions. We talk about families being absolutely distraught - (she is) absolutely distraught, no question about it, awful."

He added: "With myself and the investigation team this whole incident really hits home in the heart because as public servants we all come into work in the morning, we can hopefully do the best we can do.

(Image: PA)

"But we all go home to our families and Sharon's family don't have Sharon coming home any more."

Following her death, Ms Wall's grieving family paid tribute to the 53-year-old victim, who was from the Tuffley area of the city.

They said: "We would like to thank everyone for their support and such kind words that have been said about Sharon.

"She was nothing less than one in a million and to say that she will be missed is an understatement.”

At the time of the murder, a former colleague of Mrs Wall's, who asked not to be named, said: "She was truly amazing.

"She was a lovely lady to work with and all the patients loved her which is why it's even more shocking.

"It's such a good hospital and Trust. It shows how good the teams are because it didn't escalate to other people and it was dealt with straight away.”