Brecon: Mum killer failed by mental health team say family

A man with paranoid schizophrenia who killed his mother was failed by mental health services, his family has said.

John Anderson Griffiths, 58, stabbed Margaret Joyce Griffiths, 87, at her Powys home on 27 August 2022.

His family said a mental health doctor was on site for at least 10 minutes before the attack happened and let Mrs Griffiths go back into the house.

Griffiths admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and was detained indefinitely.

Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that Mrs Griffiths suffered "catastrophic" injuries.

They included 50 sharp force injuries to her face, four stab wounds to the neck, sharp force injuries to her chest and a number of "defence type" injuries to her forearms.

Margaret Griffiths' family said she was "much loved" and "adored"

At 21:30 BST, Griffiths called the police and admitted stabbing his mother.

Emergency services arrived at her farmhouse in Llanfrynach and she was airlifted to hospital, but died the next day.

The family said in a statement after the case that three mental health workers visited the family farm "at different times in the dark" having "forewarned" Griffiths of their arrival.

They added: "We believe Mum's death could have been prevented.

"We never in our wildest nightmares imagined that John was capable of such a heinous attack.

"We don't think that any of us will ever get over how much mum suffered in her final hours at the hands of her son, our brother. We think this will haunt us for all of time."

Powys health board and Powys council said: "We extend our sincere condolences to the family at this time, for the tragic loss of Joyce and the impact felt across the whole family. Their voice will be at the heart of our learning from these events."

Margaret Griffiths life on the family farm "was governed by the seasons and a deep appreciation of the natural world," her family say

Griffiths' family said he was "historically kind, funny, clever and a caring dad to his daughters" but his mental health deteriorated over the past 10 years.

He was sectioned and medicated with antipsychotic drugs while living overseas with his family, but "lived a good life" when released and medicated.

However, this changed when he returned to Wales in 2020 and "entered the care of the local mental health authority and stopped taking his intravenous medication".

The family said Mrs Griffiths "was a much loved mum, sister, mother in law, aunt and friend. Nanny Joyce, was also a much adored and committed grandmother to her eight grandchildren".

Mr Justice Griffiths accepted the plea of diminished responsibility because of "expert evidence on both sides" detailing the "emails" he was sending at the time and detained Griffiths under the Mental Health Act.

"At the time of her death, Joyce Griffiths had taken you back to her home in Llanfrynach when your marriage and life abroad had broken down because of your mental illness," he added.

"This evidence all shows that you were floridly psychotic and suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, including paranoid and persecutory beliefs of delusional intensity, when you killed your mother."

Griffiths' family said he needed to be "kept medicated and detained in a secure mental health facility for a very, very long time so that several generations of our family can try to begin to heal".

"We have very grave concerns that should he be released, another life could be lost."

The health board and council said they were both "fully committed to the independent review process that is taking place, the findings of which will be made public".