Son pleads guilty to murdering his dad, thinking he was ‘an intruder’
A 53-year-old man has pleaded guilty to murdering his father.
Peter Mcgarry admitted killing his father Malcolm when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.
James Horne KC, defending, said his client has no recollection of what he did as he had been drinking alcohol and had taken cocaine and instead thought the person he attacked and killed was “an intruder”.
Judge Stuart Rafferty adjourned the sentencing hearing until a date to be fixed in June. Remanding the defendant into custody, he said: “Peter Mcgarry, you have pleaded guilty to the most serious offence that can be committed - namely murder.
“There is only one sentence and that is life imprisonment and that is the sentence you will receive. But the court has to consider the minimum term you must serve before you are eligible to apply for parole.
“I need to know as much about you as I can before I proceed to sentence and you will be seen by a psychiatrist. I appreciate from your basis of plea that you have little recollection of what happened that night.” Police were called to the scene in Northfield Close, Sutton-in-ashfield, at 12.55am on Friday, December 1, last year, where Mr Mcgarry Snr was found with significant injuries. Emergency services administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) but he was pronounced dead at 2.05am.
His son, of Alexandra Street, Kirkby-in-ashfield, was arrested and subsequently charged with his murder.
In a statement released at the time of the charge, Detective Inspector Melanie Crutchley, who is leading the investigation, said: “Specialist family liaison officers are keeping Mr Mcgarry’s family informed about the progress of our investigation, and I’d like to again express our deepest condolences to them at this difficult time.”