Man pushes 79-year-old mother with Alzheimer's off balcony killing her because he 'couldn't bear to see her suffer'
A son threw his elderly mother who was suffering from Alzheimer's over a balcony and to her death at the care home where she was placed, a court has heard.
Robert Knight, 52, has been accused of murdering his mother June, 79, in December last year after throwing her off the first floor of the Langley Lodge Care Home in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, according to the Daily Mail.
Detailing the incident, prosecutor Matthew Jewell told the Basildon Crown Court that Knight visited his mother, who had Alzheimer's and a 'Do not resuscitate' order on her notes, twice on the day of her death on December 10.
He said that Knight, a lecturer, first visited her at around 7:30 am that morning before leaving to teach a language class.
He then returned at 9:45 pm the same day, carried his mother through a fire escape onto the balcony and threw her down onto her head, with CCTV footage capturing the horrifying incident.
"The footage sees him putting Mrs. Knight onto the railing, and then pushing her off," Jewell told the court. "He watched her fall down to her death."
"He then came back into the home, and at around 10 pm presents himself to a member of staff," he continued. "He later told police officers, 'I have just killed her, my mother, I threw her off there' while pointing towards the fire escape."
The court heard that June, who had suffered from Alzheimer's for many years, was in the 'final stages' of her life before Knight threw her off the balcony and killed her.
Knight has admitted to killing his mother but has denied the one count of murder he has been charged with.
He claimed his actions stemmed from him losing control at the time.
He also reportedly told detectives after the incident that he was "distressed" because his mother had caught a winter virus and he "could not bear to see her suffer."
However, Jewell brushed aside those claims. He said the 52-year-old was "perfectly in control" and that he "acted deliberately and callously" in taking his mother's life.
During a hearing in May, prosecutor Andrew Jackson had similarly said, "He told police his mother was conscious and looking at him and was in pain. It's more likely she was terrified about what was about to happen to her."
"He told police he wanted her to hit the ground with a big crack so she would be knocked unconscious," he continued. "In order to achieve that, he tilted her body so that her head might hit the ground first."
The 13-and-a-half-feet fall had seen June suffer a fatal brain injury, and she was declared dead just minutes after paramedics arrived at the scene. A post-mortem examination confirmed that she sustained a fractured skull and "catastrophic" injuries in the fall and died of head injuries.
Addressing the jury during this week's hearing, Jewell said, "In reaction to this case, you may have feelings for her, and feelings for the way she was killed. It's essential that when you consider the evidence you put emotional reaction to one side."
"Emotions play no part in the function of a jury. Approach this case calmly, coolly and dispassionately to reach your verdict," he added.
Knight's trial is expected to last until the end of the week.