Teenager stabbed mother more than 100 times, inquest told
A teenager stabbed their mother more than 100 times before dialling 999 and calmly telling police to “bring a body bag”, an inquest heard.
Rowan Thompson, 17, had just returned from a jog with Joanna Thompson when they attacked her at her home in the Hampshire village of Hambledon.
The teenager strangled Ms Thompson, a 50-year-old speech therapist, in her living room until she fell unconscious before stabbing her in the neck, forehead and arm.
At 12.45pm on 1 July last year, Rowan phoned the police and announced: “I’ve just killed my mum … I strangled her and I’ve been stabbing her with various knives and whatnot.”
Rowan was due to stand trial at Winchester crown court in October but was found dead at a secure hospital in Greater Manchester a few days before. Police said the death was not suspicious.
Speaking outside court, Rowan’s father, Marc, claimed more could have been done for the teenager during stays at two mental health units before the attack. He said Rowan identified as nonbinary but was placed into a unit that segregated boys and girls.
Mr Thompson said Rowan was “troubled” and had been failed by the system. He said Rowan had loved Ms Thompson “to bits” and knew the attack was wrong.
Before the attack, Rowan was never aggressive, liked fencing, climbing, the Rubik’s Cube and wanted to become an architect, Mr Thompson added.
The inquest was told that Rowan was visiting their mother for the weekend, having moved to live with their father, a magician, in Barnsley, south Yorkshire.
Rowan and their mother had “stressful” conversations about living arrangements on the night before her death, the inquest in Winchester was told.
In a clip of the 999 call played in court, the teenager can be heard saying: “I’ve just killed my mum. I need someone to arrest me as that’s what you do and an ambulance would be nice. I strangled her and I’ve been stabbing her
with various knives and whatnot. She’s not breathing … bring a body-bag or whatever you do. I’m 99.9% sure she’s not breathing.”
The teenager told police they felt “strange” and was on “auto-pilot” at the time of the attack.
Dr Basil Purdue, a pathologist, concluded that although Ms Thompson was unconscious, her heart was still beating when Rowan stabbed her 118 times.
Dr John Sandford, a psychiatrist, said Rowan had minor autism but added there was nothing to suggest the teenager was suffering from “abnormal mental functioning”.
But Mr Thompson claimed two other psychiatrists had “opposing views” and believed the teenager was “mentally incapacitated”.
The coroner, Jason Pegg, recorded a verdict of unlawful killing. Rowan’s inquest is due to take place in Manchester next year.