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A British man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 21 years after stabbing his 72-year-old mother to death in a brutal attack he carried out believing she was a witch. Daniel Cook (39) was convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, with three psychologists confirming he suffered from schizophrenia at the time of the killing.
The fatal attack occurred on May 11 in Littlethorpe, near Leicester, after Ellen Cook refused her son's request to move back into the family home during a Sunday dinner. Cook followed his mother to the garage and stabbed her more than 30 times with such force that two of her ribs were broken. The assault continued into the street as neighbours and Cook's father, Russell Cook, desperately tried to intervene.
Father's desperate plea ignored
Russell Cook attempted to stop his son during the attack. «Don't do any more, Daniel, she is your mother,» he pleaded. When the violence continued in the street, he warned: «That's enough. You're going to kill her.» Daniel Cook responded coldly: «That's exactly what I want - I want her to die.» He told his father: «I'm not doing you.»
Ellen Cook was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:48pm, approximately 25 minutes after emergency services arrived. Police officers had to deploy Tasers multiple times during a lengthy struggle to restrain Daniel Cook, who ignored commands to drop the knife.
'She's the source of all my problems'
After the attack, Cook showed no remorse. «It's her fault,» he said before returning to the house. In police custody, he declared: «She's the cause of it.» He added: «She's the source of all my problems. I'm going to win the case - my mum started it. You know the script.»
Judge Timothy Spencer KC told Cook at sentencing: «You stabbed your own mother to death. She was 72 years of age when she died.» He emphasized: «It's clear to me your violence only had one target - your irrationally-arrived-at target of your mother.»
Family fears and victim impact
Victim impact statements from Cook's two sisters revealed the family's ongoing trauma. One sister described her brother as a «genuine danger» if released, stating she would have to relocate her family for safety. The other sister recalled their mother's deepest fear that Cook would commit violence and spend his life in prison. «All she ever wanted was for him to be well and live a normal life,» she said.
Cook's defence counsel, Mary Prior KC, raised «major concerns» about placing him in a regular prison, arguing he posed a «danger to the public» if staff could not manage his medication. She advocated for a hospital order as the best form of public protection.
Year-long delusion preceded killing
Judge Spencer outlined how Cook had developed a «warped view» approximately one year before the killing that his mother had forced medication on him as a child. «You would, on occasion, shout at her. You would accuse her of being a witch,» the judge said. «You declared at a family meal that your mother had poisoned you. She was undeterred.» Despite the accusations, Ellen Cook continued to love and support her son.
Cook had a documented history of mental health problems. He was admitted to the Bradgate Unit in Leicester in 2023 for more than two weeks, and had previously threatened his mother with a knife in 2009.
Hybrid hospital order issued
The judge issued a hybrid order requiring Cook to remain hospitalized at Arnold Lodge mental health hospital in Leicester until deemed medically fit for transfer to prison. This sentence type reflects the court's recognition of both Cook's mental health needs and the requirement for public protection before he becomes eligible for parole after 21 years.
At the time of the attack, Cook was living in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and running an online business. Judge Spencer concluded his sentencing remarks by telling Cook: «I hope you understand something of what your family have said.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
