An unidentified man believed to be of unsound mind was hacked to death by a mob after he invaded the house of a couple and destroyed their possessions, in Rhoden Hall, Kellits, Clarendon, on Tuesday night.

The man, who is believed to be in his late 40s, was of dark complexion, slim build, about 170 centimetres tall and was clad in a red and white merino and dark-coloured underpants.

Reports are that at 8:15 p.m., the couple was at home when they were alerted by strange sounds outside. When they investigated, a man was seen chopping the door to their house. The couple escaped through a window and made an alarm. Residents went to their assistance and found the man inside the house chopping up the furniture. He was attacked and hacked to death. The police were alerted, the crime scene processed and the body removed to the morgue for post mortem.