A Bromley pensioner with Parkinson's was stamped on and kicked to death by a mentally ill neighbour who was discharged from a psychiatric unit two days before, an inquest heard.

Ronald Parsons, 71, who walked with a stick, was attacked by 34-year-old Daniel Atkins, suffering fatal facial and head injuries on March 2, 2014, South London Coroner's Court heard.

The inquest was told the housing association had not carried out criminal background checks on Atkins, who had a violent past, and he had been deemed a 'low' risk by his care co-ordinator.

Yet a string of complaints flooded in from neighbours in the block of flats in Laurel Court, Cambridge Road, of him shouting at traffic while nearly naked and blasting loud music from his flat.

The housing association admitted it accepted a form from him detailing his past which omitted a lot of his previous convictions.

Emma Randall, from Town and Country Housing Group, told the inquest: "Mr Atkins, on his application form put that he had been found not guilty of GBH and I believe he had been found guilty of ABH previously.

"Having now seen the long list of violent background, none of those were disclosed to us.

"We were relying on the support worker who completed the form with him."

Regional operations manager Darren Donoghue said of the "risk assessment" form received with Atkins's application, he said: "Risk to physical aggression being low; risk to damage to property also being very low.

"So in this circumstance we would not have taken it any further.

"When the nominations coming from a local authority anybody who is suffering from any mental health issues or other disabilities, we require full details of their care package and support before we grant them a tenancy in our properties."

Atkins was sentenced to an indeterminate hospital order after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in 2015 and the coroner told the inquest he was still too unwell to give evidence.

The family of Mr Parsons said they wanted answers as to why Atkins was housed next door despite an "obvious and increasing threat" from him.

The inquest was told that Atkins's family had tried to stop him being discharged by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust because of his illness.

A statement by Mr Parsons' older brother Kenneth, 84, said: "The thought of somebody of his age and physical condition could be so brutally murdered is not something any of us could come to terms with.

"He wanted nothing more from life than to live out his retirement in peace in the flat.

"It's very difficult to put feelings into words.

"There's some anger that Ron spent the last months of his life with a neighbour whose erratic and intimidating behaviour was causing him worries.

"It's not apparent to the family that anything was done to safeguard Ron or his neighbours from the obvious and increasing threat from somebody who was known to suffer from mental illness."

It was a year after Atkins was given a housing association flat when his risk to the public was judged "low" despite his mental health problems and violent history.

In a statement Detective Constable Kevin Hawkes said Atkins had been sectioned at the Princess Royal University Hospital after damaging his mother's car in early December 2013.

He said: "Daniel's father was still concerned for Daniel's mental health. He explained he was showing all the signs he was becoming ill again.

"They tried to speak with a doctor as they weren't happy he was going to be discharged."

Atkins stayed at his mother's home overnight before returning to his flat and was visited by his ex-girlfriend and their seven-year-old son.

Mental health practitioner Suzanne Amlers interviewed Atkins the day after the killing and said: "He said 'I would not normally had done it but nothing could stop me at the time. It was like a wild cat or dog, I got really angry.'"

Injuries to Mr Parsons' knuckles suggested he may have tried to defend himself.

The hearing continues.