Trial of Japanese man accused of killing 19 disabled people broken off

The trial of a man accused of stabbing to death 19 disabled people at a care home in 2016 in one of post-war Japan's worst mass killings went into recess on Wednesday after his lawyer said he was mentally incompetent and before he could enter a plea. The suspect, Satoshi Uematsu, 29, had told the court the bill of indictment for the stabbing spree, in which 26 were wounded, was correct.

Japanese media had said Uematsu was set to plead guilty. But the court session abruptly went into recess after a Reuters witness said Uematsu struggled with court officials. NHK television said he had made motions as if putting something in his mouth.