Murder Attempt Antidepressants 20/12/2008 England Man Attempts to Kill His Mother: Also Thought About Killing Colleagues Summary:

Paragraph 21 reads:   "Keith Sutton, defending, said Ellis, who was on anti-depressants and suffered from panic attacks, had  'snapped'."

Paragraph 15 reads:   "Ellis also told officers how he had thought about killing his former colleagues, but thought he would 'never get away with it'."



        

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/12/20/man-in-hammer-attack-on-sleeping-mother-jailed-indefinitely-64375-22517256/


Man in hammer attack on sleeping mother jailed indefinitely

Dec 20 2008 by Chloe Griffiths, Liverpool Daily Post

A WIRRAL man who battered his mother with a hammer as she lay sleeping has been locked up indefinitely.

Andrew Ellis tried to kill his mother, Elizabeth, by hitting her head at least 10 times with the weapon as she lay defenceless in her bed.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that, when that failed to work, the depressed 39-year-old tried to smother her bloodied face with a pillow.

Half-way through the savage attack Ellis, who was fuelled by half a bottle of vodka, stopped to ring the emergency services, saying: “I want to kill my mum. I’ve already hit her with a hammer a number of times.

“She’s nearly dead, but I think she’s still alive.”

Unemployed Ellis then returned to her bedroom in their home on Downing Close, Prenton, to continue the onslaught.

When police and paramedics arrived, Mrs Ellis was sat in a pool of blood.

She had wounds all over her head and her arms were swollen from trying to protect herself.

But, miraculously, prosecutor Deborah Gould said Mrs Ellis was not seriously injured.

Ellis was picked up hours later at 6am on November 11 after ringing police from a phone box in Bebington.

He was carrying £600, and told officers: “I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind to say anything.”

But later, in interview, he made a full confession, saying he had decided either to kill himself or his mother.

He described hitting her repeatedly with the hammer, before adding: “It didn’t seem to be working because although she was bleeding she wasn’t dying from it and I had to push the pillow over her.

“She was struggling and that wasn’t working either. I think I may have hit her again after that and then I gave up.”

Ellis also told officers how he had thought about killing his former colleagues, but thought he would “never get away with it”.

The Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Henry Globe, QC, yesterday jailed Ellis indeterminately for public protection.

He must serve at least four years before being considered for parole.

Judge Globe said: “By your plea you were intending to kill her and through your violence and persistence you could have done so.

“Miraculously, you failed to do so.”

Judge Globe said Ellis had shown no real remorse for the “ferocious attack”.

Keith Sutton, defending, said Ellis, who was on anti-depressants and suffered from panic attacks, had “snapped”.

Psychiatrists found Ellis proved a high risk to his family because of “perceived” problems.