Mentally ill man beat elderly mother to death with steering lock, jury finds

A mentally ill man battered his elderly mother to death with a steering lock in his own front room, a jury has found.

Former warehouse worker Gareth Jackson, 52, attacked 84-year-old Lesma Jackson when she visited his home on January 29 last year, the Old Bailey heard.

Mrs Jackson’s daughter became concerned and reported her missing after the defendant claimed she had set off for home.

Police went to his home in Enfield, north London, and forced their way in as he would not let them in, jurors were told.

They found Ms Jackson dead in the front room with "catastrophic injuries to her head", and discovered a steering lock down the side of her son's bed, the court heard.

The defendant repeatedly told police “it was an accident”, but prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said the injuries meant there was "no question of this being an accident".

Jurors were told Jackson is suffering form a serious mental illness and is not fit to stand trial.

The prosecutor said jurors would not have to determine whether he was guilty or not guilty of murder, only whether he killed his mother.

Jurors were told that Jackson used to work in various warehouse jobs through an agency but had not worked for some time.

His mother was described as being “very protective” of him. She cooked and cleaned for him, paid his mortgage and utility bills and bought his groceries, jurors were told.

Following the trial of issue, the jury on Wednesday found Jackson did commit the act and the case was adjourned until Thursday.

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