LONDON (AP) -- A man broke into George Harrison's Oxfordshire mansion today, stabbing the former Beatle and attacking his wife, authorities said. The suspect's mother told a newspaper he recently had become obsessed with The Beatles.
Harrison, 56, and his wife, Olivia, fought with the intruder, who broke into their palatial estate in Henley on Thames, about 25 miles west of London, about 3:30 a.m., police said. Harrison suffered a collapsed lung when he was stabbed in the chest, authorities said.Police would not name the suspect, who they said was a 33-year-old Liverpool man, but media reports named him as Michael Abram.
The attack came 19 years after fellow Beatle John Lennon was shot to death in New York City by an obsessive fan.
In an interview printed today in the Liverpool Echo newspaper, Abram's mother, Lynda, said her son had a history of mental health problems and had recently fixated on The Beatles.
"He has been running in pubs shouting about The Beatles," she told the newspaper. "He hates them and even believes they are witches and takes their lyrics seriously. He started to wear a Walkman to play music to stop the voices in his head."
The one inch stab wound that penetrated Harrison's chest wall, collapsed his right lung but was not particularly serious, medical authorities said.
Olivia Harrison received only superficial injuries and was not hospitalized.
"I don't think they were ever seriously worried," Pengelly said. "It could have been an awful lot worse."
Harrison later was transferred to Harefield Hospital in west London, which has a special chest unit.
"Generally, they are very happy and concerned to let the world know they are recovering well," said Mark Gritten, Royal Berkshire's chief executive. "Certainly, to have struggled with an intruder and come off with the injuries they have, I think they've been very lucky."
Thames Valley police said the intruder smashed a window at Friar Park, Harrison's magnificent, Gothic house set on 34 acres.
Harrison and his wife grappled with the intruder and were able to detain him until police arrived.
The man was treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries and then discharged into police custody, authorities said.
Harrison's former bandmate Paul McCartney issued a statement today saying he was shocked by the attack.
"Thank God that both George and Olivia are all right," McCartney said. "I send them all my love."
The Harrisons have lived at Friar Park, a former nunnery close to the center of historic Henley, for more than 20 years. Security at the walled estate is tight, and it was unclear how the intruder managed to enter the house.
Sir George Martin, the Beatles' longtime producer, speculated to SKY-TV that the attack was "a burglary that went wrong."
"The house is a very sort of grand place, with a lot of grounds," Martin said. "I know there's always people trying to get in and that kind of thing, but George always leads a very quiet life. ... I can't imagine anyone picking on George. I think they must have just picked on the house."
In 1998, Harrison disclosed that he had been battling throat cancer for more than a year and had surgery to remove a lump in his neck. He later had radiation therapy, adding to an experience he said made him think about the fragility of life.
"It reminds you that anything can happen," he told the tabloid News of the World.
Earlier that year, the three surviving Beatles -- Harrison, McCartney and Ringo Starr -- were reunited for the first time in years at a London memorial service for McCartney's wife, Linda, who died of breast cancer.