Man jailed for frenzied attack on elderly mother

Sean Van Diepenbrock admitted "battering" his mother

A man who carried out a frenzied attack on his elderly mother has been jailed for seven years.

Sean Van Diepenbrock, 59, was seen in Appleby on 13 January last year, naked, swearing and shouting: "Call the police, I think I've killed her."

Carlisle Crown Court heard police found the woman on the floor of her home with knives scattered nearby.

Van Diepenbrock admitted causing his mother grievous bodily harm with intent, and criminal damage.

Several witnesses saw the defendant just after 08:00 GMT shouting for help.

Officers who went to his home found several knives, one apparently blood-stained, on the ground in the lobby, prosecutor Tim Evans told the court.

“Clothes, scarves, shoes and furniture were strewn about the floor and, as an officer gained entry, he could see broken chairs, pieces of wood and broken crockery."

Van Diepenbrock’s mother was lying on the floor behind a sofa in her night clothes, with blood covering her head and face, Mr Evans said.

"It was apparent that she did not know where she was or what had happened.”

'Battered my mother'

Hospital tests revealed the elderly woman had a brain injury, multiple fractures and numerous cuts.

A surgeon told the court these would have been caused by significant blunt force, possibly inflicted by parts of a broken table, and he could not exclude a knife being used.

The court heard Van Diepenbrock told an officer: “I have battered my mother. I’ve beat her up.”

It was told he resented her and his use of a psychoactive drug, combined with cannabis, could have provoked an acute psychotic reaction.

Judge Ian Unsworth KC heard this was out of character and the defendant had shown remorse but concluded that he should be classed as a dangerous offender.

“You launched a wholly unprovoked attack in which a weapon or weapons were used against your vulnerable mother in her own home,” the judge told him.