Man to be detained in secure hospital for killing his mother with hammer

A son who killed his mother with a hammer at their West Yorkshire home has been detained in a high security hospital.

A judge told Wayne Beer he would be detained indefinitely under Mental Health Act over the death of Diane Jones.

Beer, 42, struck Mrs Jones repeatedly on the head with a claw hammer during the incident at their home in Castleford on March 21 this year.

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Beer was charged with murder following the death by was assessed as unfit to stand trial due to his mental health.

A jury found that Beer “did the act as charged” after a hearing at Leeds Crown Court last week.

He was brought to the court today to be sentenced.

Beer has been assessed by three doctors who all diagnosed him as being psychotic and having paranoid schizophrenia.

The court heard Beer’s condition was likely to be long-term and he would continue to be violent in the future.

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Beer is currently being held at Rampton high security hospital.

Judge Guy Kearl, QC, ordered that Beer be detained indefinitely so he can continue to receive medical treatment.

Judge Kearl said it was necessary to make the order to protect the public.

During the trial, prosecutor Dafydd Enoch, QC, said: “This is an extremely sad case.”

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Mr Enoch said the attack happened when Mrs Jones went to try to calm her son down after he began “acting strangely.”

Beer then attacked Mrs Jones’ husband, Terry, when he went to help after hearing his wife’s cries for help.

Beer pushed Mr Jones down the stairs and threw furniture at him.

Mr Jones went to a neighbour’s house for help and police were contacted.

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Mr Enoch said: “The police came quickly but it was too late for Diane Jones.

“She was very badly injured. Her skull was fractured in several places.”

Beer was outside the house on Ambleside Road when police officers arrived and he was detained after a struggle.

The prosecutor explained to the jury that it was an unusual case as they were not being asked to reach a guilty verdict in the case.

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He said: “The only question, at the end of the day, you are being asked to consider is whether or not you can be satisfied, so you are sure, that he caused the injuries.”

Mr Jones gave evidence at the hearing and described how Beer had been “shouting abuse” at his bedroom wall on the evening of the attack.

He said he went to get the phone to ring police as his wife went to speak to her son.

He said: “The next minute I heard Diane.

“She was shouting ‘Terry he’s hit me over the head’ so I went rushing upstairs with the phone in my hand.”

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Mr Jones described how he ripped Beer’s t-shirt during the struggle to stop him.

He continued: “He got hold of me and pushed me in the passageway and pushed me down the stairs.

“The last words she ever said to me was ‘don’t leave me here with him.’”

The jury heard a detective found Mrs Jones lying face down in a pool of blood on the bedroom floor.

A wooden-handled claw hammer was close by.

The court heard Mrs Jones was unable to speak but she was able to communicate with the officer by squeezing her hand.