Drug addict son killed 'loving' mother with chainsaw in fit of rage, Welsh court hears

A son who had a "close, loving and supportive" relationship with his mother murdered her in their garden with a chainsaw, a court in Wales has heard.

Robert Owens kicked, strangled and attacked Iris Owens, 75, with a power tool in Ystrad Mynach, near Caerphilly, Wales, on May 3 this year.

The 47-year-old appeared at Cardiff Crown Court to be sentenced for the murder, which he admitted at a hearing on September 9.

Prosecuting, Christopher Clee QC, said the fatal attack happened in the garden of the home where Mrs Owens lived with her son.

"He killed her with a chainsaw," he said. "The cause of death was trauma to the head and neck."

Mr Clee said neighbours saw Mrs Owens, a widowed mother-of-two, hanging out her washing at about 5pm on May 3.

One, David Harding, heard a loud 'oi' or 'ah' sound and a chainsaw starting in the garden.

"The precise sequence is unclear but at 5.21pm the defendant rang for an ambulance," Mr Clee told the court.

In the 999 call, Owens said: "Yeah, my mother just went mad. I was chainsawing some wood.

"She's in the garden now, please help her. She's gone mad, she's not breathing, she went f****** mad.

"I've got to give her the kiss of life but she ain't doing nothing."

Paramedics arrived at the property at 5.40pm, finding Owens "very agitated" with blood on his hands and overalls.

They found Mrs Owens lying on her back near a tree stump in the rear garden, with a cut to the left side of her neck.

Owens attempted to perform CPR on his mother but it was "obvious she was dead", Mr Clee said.

She was pronounced dead at 5.42pm.

Owens told a paramedic his mother had "gone berserk", adding "I'm going to jail".

When asked about his medical history, Owens said he was a heroin addict and had last taken the drug at midnight.

Tests later revealed morphine, heroin and cocaine in his system.

Pc Keith Williams arrived at the scene at 5.55pm and minutes later arrested Owens on suspicion of murdering his mother.

After the caution, Owens said: "I know I'm going to jail. I can't believe that this has happened."

Mr Clee said: "He began to cry and said: 'I was chopping wood and she just went ballistic on me. She pushed me and I pushed her back. Why did this have to happen?'"

The court heard Owens accepted strangling his mother and breaking her ribs by kicking her.

"The precise sequence won't ever be known," Mr Clee added.

A post-mortem examination found Mrs Owens, who was 5ft 3ins tall, died from trauma to her head and neck.

The court heard Owens began living with his mother after separating from his wife in 2006.

Mr Clee described Mrs Owens as an "active and independent lady" who volunteered for charities and attended church and Welsh classes.

"Shortly before her death she had obtained a paid position as a bilingual tour guide," he said.

Friends described her as educated, charitable and kind and "full of life", the court heard.

One said her relationship with Owens was "very motherly", adding that he was "odd" and sometimes "needy like a child who wanted attention".

Representing Owens, Simon Laws QC, said his client was remorseful.

"This was a close, loving and supportive relationship so to sit where he does today having done what he did is a very terrible thing," Mr Laws said.

"He would like it said on his behalf that there's not a moment of any day when he is not reminded of what happened.

"He is devastated by what happened in those few minutes of anger in the garden."

Mrs Justice Nicola Davies said she was adjourning sentence until Tuesday to reflect on the "tragic and unusual case".