Man detained under Mental Health Act for killing mother with dementia

David Powell, a 74-year-old man from Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent has been detained under the Mental Health Act after he admitted killing his 95-year-old mother who had dementia after she expressed ‘a wish to die.’

Mr Powell admitted killing his mother, Cecilia Powell, with a metal wrench in at her home in Penkill, April this year. He was given a hospital order, detaining him under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act, with a Section 41 restriction, without limitation.

DI Andy Maxfield of Staffordshire Police said: "Mrs Powell's death was particularly tragic as she was killed by her own son, the person who had once been her carer. Powell claimed that his mother had expressed a wish to die and that his intention had been to end her misery and die with her as he felt unable to cope. He claimed he could see no other way out.

"This has been a very upsetting case. Powell found the burden of caring for his mother too much to bear, and did not feel able to carry on. For an elderly woman to die in such violent circumstances, is extremely sad. Nobody deserves to end their days like that."

Mr Powell called the police at around 8pm on Thursday 9 April to report the death and explained to the person taking the call that he had killed her at 7pm earlier the same evening.

A Home Office post mortem examination revealed that Mrs Powell’s death was caused by head injuries.

During questioning, Mr Powell revealed he had killed her three days before he called to report the death and had planned to take his own life but had been unable to go through with it.

Mr Powell pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at a previous hearing.