University student who attacked his statistics tutor and four classmates with a baseball bat is found not guilty - despite googling 'murder laws' and 'life sentence' before wild rampage
- A former university student has been found not guilty of attempted murder
- Alex Ophel was found not guilty via jury because of his mental impairment
- In August 2017 Mr Ophel attacked his classmates and tutor with a baseball bat
- Mr Ophel will now be assessed by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal
A university student who attacked his statistics tutor and four classmates with a baseball bat has been found not guilty of five counts of attempted murder.
Alex Ophel, 20, faced the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory in Canberra on Wednesday.
He was found not guilty by a jury because of his mental impairment.
Mr Ophel, who suffers with schizophrenia, was just 18 when he pulled a baseball bat out of a duffel bag and began swinging it at people in his university class in 2017.
Mr Ophel (pictured), who suffers with schizophrenia, was just 18 years old when he pulled a baseball bat out of a duffel bag and began swinging it at people
He was charged with five counts of attempted murder following the wild rampage which left his tutor unconscious, one classmate with a broken arm and several others with head and other injuries.
One witness described Mr Ophel's attack as using 'maximum force' before he had been stopped, reported ABC News.
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It's understood the now 20-year-old's schizophrenia was only diagnosed in the months following the attack.
His first trial was called off after a jury was unable to reach a verdict.
Mr Ophel pulled a baseball bat out of a duffel bag and began swinging it at people (police are pictured taping off his university classroom)
The wild rampage left his tutor unconscious, one classmate with a broken arm and several others with head and other injuries (students are pictured being treated by paramedics)
During the second trial, prosecutors claimed that Mr Ophel appeared aware of the consequences of his actions prior to the attack and therefore did not meet the required threshold for mental impairment.
He conducted internet searches for terms such as 'ACT murder laws' and 'ACT life sentence', the court heard.
Mr Ophel had also posted on YouTube under an alias about disappearing.
'Why will I disappear? Well you will find out if I am successful,' he said.
However, Justice John Burns said the prosecutions argument that Mr Ophel was responsible for his actions was contradictory to other evidence given by eight psychiatrists who testified during the trial.
He said it was 'beyond doubt' that Mr Ophel suffered with a 'serious mental illness' and that his actions had been driven by the developing schizophrenia.
The jury were also told that if they concluded that Mr Ophel was not guilty because of mental impairment he would not necessarily walk free.
Under the territory's mental health laws Mr Ophel will now be assessed by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Following the verdict, Mr Ophel's lawyer Jacob Robertson said the correct decision had been made.
The jury were also told that if they concluded that Mr Ophel (pictured) was not guilty because of mental impairment he would not necessarily walk free
