A MAN with a history of mental illness will be detained indefinitely after he admitted killing his elderly mother in a “brutal” attack at the family farm in Powys last year.

John Anderson Griffiths inflicted more than 50 stab wounds on 87-year-old Joyce Griffiths at the family farm near Brecon last August.

Griffiths, 58, had originally denied murdering his mother on August 27, 2022, and had also pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter.

But at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday, Griffiths – wearing black rimmed reading glasses, with greying hair and a beard – entered a guilty plea to manslaughter, on the basis of diminished responsibility.

County Times: Margaret Joyce Griffiths was 87 years old when she died in hospital following an incident at a

The court heard that Griffiths – the eldest of Mrs Griffiths’ three children – had a long history of mental illness and had moved back in with his mother on the farm, near Llanfrynach, in the summer of 2020 following a marriage breakdown.

Griffiths – appearing via videolink from the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend, where he has been held since his arrest – had previously been diagnosed as suffering with paranoid schizophrenia, which led to him being sectioned in 2006.

OTHER NEWS:

Prosecutor Carolie Rees said the attack on the victim, a grandmother of eight and who was known to her family as “Nanny Joyce”, occurred during a period when the defendant’s mental health had “seriously deteriorated”.

“The victim was a much-loved mother, grandmother, friend and neighbour to many,” said Ms Rees.

“The defendant had suffered with mental health issues for many, many years.

“The family’s hope had been that he would provide company for his aging mother and she’d be able to care for him, but by June 2022 the defendant’s mental health had seriously deteriorated.

“He was locking himself away in his room and hoarding. He became attached to some sort of stone she called ‘Mad Mike’, which she told others he used to help him with his decision making.”

By August, Griffiths had began sending “bizarre and delusional” emails to his brother Richard – including one that made reference to him threatening his mother with a knife – and the family became concerned for both their brother and the risk he posed to their mother.

A series of mental health assessments were carried out by professionals throughout August but only concluded that Griffiths did not pose a risk to himself or anyone else – despite the fact he was resistant to treatment.

By the evening of August 26, arrangements had been made to admit Griffiths as an inpatient for assessment, but Ms Rees said police received a phonecall from the defendant at 9.30pm.

“He said his mother was trying to get him sectioned so he stabbed her” said Ms Rees.

She continued: “When officers arrived there was a mental health team waiting outside. Joyce Griffiths was found lying on some steps, she was clearly very seriously injured and covered in blood.

“The defendant was upstairs, shouting ‘she attacked me with a knife’.”

Griffiths was arrested while his mother was airlifted to hospital in Cardiff, but she was pronounced dead just after 1pm on August 27.

“She had suffered multiple stab and slash wounds, a doctor later described them as catastrophic,” said Ms Rees.

“She sadly died from the injuries inflicted by her son. A post-mortem revealed she suffered at least 50 sharp force injuries to her face.”

County Times:

Peter Rouch, representing the defendant, who has no previous convictions, said experts described Griffiths as “floridly psychotic” at the time of the attack.

“He has an established diagnosis of schizophrenia, which can cause abnormality of mental function,” said Mr Rouch.

“The offence occurred directly due to his mental illness, this is clear and evident.”

The Honourable Mr Justice Griffiths, presiding over sentencing, described Griffiths’ act as a “brutal killing”.

He told him: “The evidence shows you were floridly psychotic and suffering from paranoid beliefs of delusional intensity when you killed your mother.

“There was a substantial impairment of your ability to form rational judgement and exercise self-control, and this abnormality provides an explanation for your conduct in killing your mother.”

He added: “The court expresses its profound condolence and sympathy to the family and friends she has left behind.

“The description of her in the family’s statement brought her back to life through the memories of those who knew and loved her.

“That memory will never die and the statement showed what a good person she was and what a good life she led.

“This hearing is about her last hours but the 87 years that went before will always be remembered and celebrated.”

County Times: Sign up to the Powys County Times for £4 for 4 months

Mr Justice Griffiths made two orders, under Sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act, that Griffiths will be detained indefinitely.

“I am satisfied that because of the nature of this offence and with regards to your past, including your history of chronic mental health issues, lack of insight into your condition and failure to take medication essential to your mental health, that there is a high risk you will commit further serious offences if not detained.

“Detention is necessary to protect the public from serious harm, and it is not possible to say for how long that will be so. I order that you will be subject to special restriction without limit of time.”