Market Weighton: Jury decides if mentally ill man killed his mother

Helen Harrison, 59, was discovered fatally injured at an address in Aspen Close

A mentally ill man stabbed and strangled his mother to death at her home in Market Weighton after she tried to get him help, a court heard.

Helen Harrison, 59, was discovered fatally injured at an address in Aspen Close on 5 March last year.

Rick Parker, 40, was charged with her murder but has subsequently been declared unfit to plead.

Mr Parker was also charged with assaulting his stepfather two weeks before the killing.

Hull Crown Court heard that Mr Parker, who had been living with his mother and stepfather at the time, had mental health issues after a road accident but had refused to seek help.

On the day of her death, Ms Harrison had called for an ambulance to get her son some treatment.

She wanted him to have a mental-health assessment. The attending paramedics said he appeared to be calm but perhaps a bit annoyed that the ambulance team was there, the court was told.

Ms Harrison died from a stab wound and strangulation

Geraldine Kelly, for the prosecution. said: "It must have been very soon after the ambulance left that the prosecution says Rick Parker attacked and killed his mother."

Witnesses described hearing what sounded like screaming and the door to the property "flexing" as if someone had run into it.

A short time later the ambulance crew was called to return after Mr Parker reported "an accident" at the address.

The jury heard that Mr Parker told call handlers it was "definitely a body-bag job".

Mr Parker then directed paramedics to the hallway where his mother lay dead.

A post-mortem examination found Ms Harrison had died from a stab wound and strangulation.

Two weeks before, Ms Kelly said Mr Parker had launched "an unprovoked attack" on his stepfather after overhearing an argument between the couple.

Mr Parker had then threatened that if he "ever as much as raise your voice to my mother again I will take you outside over the step and beat you to death", she told the court.

He had also been asked to find somewhere else to live due to the situation with his stepfather, who moved out in fear of his safety after the attack, it heard.

The two of them had previously fallen out after an argument over who should fix a leak coming from the loft.

The case is being heard as a trial of the facts.

Unlike in a criminal trial, the jury is not required to return a verdict of guilty or not guilty.

Instead they are asked to decide whether or not the accused committed the offence with which they are charged.

The hearing continues.