Murder case dropped as son admits manslaughter

Alfred Langley "touched the lives of everyone he met with his selfless acts of kindness", his family says

A son accused of murdering his father has had the charge dropped after admitting manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Alfred Langley, 77, was found dead with a head injury inside a house on Clipsley Lane in Haydock, St Helens, on 29 October last year.

Peter Langley, 34, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge at a pre-trial hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, which was accepted by the Crown after the receipt of expert psychiatric evidence.

Langley, of Clipsley Lane, Haydock, is due to be sentenced on 16 January 2026 at the same court.

Paying tribute shortly after his death, Alfred Haydock's family said he was a "beloved husband, dad, grandad, great-grandad, brother, uncle and friend" and he had "touched the lives of everyone he met with his selfless acts of kindness".

He was "always there, whether that meant running someone to a hospital appointment, welding a new gate or stepping in as a childminder", they said.

"His legacy will live on through his family, who loved him so dearly."