Man who killed his mum in ‘truly very sad’ case to be held in secure psychiatric hospital
STEVEN SANDERSON, OF BLYTH, NOT FIT TO STAND TRIAL
A SON who killed his mother while suffering from severe mental illness in a “truly very sad case” will be held in a secure psychiatric hospital.
Steven Sanderson was suffering from schizophrenia with paranoid delusions when he attacked June Sanderson in his home in Blyth.
The 73-year-old had her head banged into the wall and was headbutted and punched by Sanderson, who also tried to strangle and bite her.
During the onslaught, Sanderson’s Pit Bull terrier cross breed set upon the pensioner, savaging her arms and leaving her bleeding heavily.
Sanderson, 37, was found unfit to plead or stand trial due to his mental illness but a jury found he did the acts that led to his mum’s death, following a trial last week.
Now a judge has ordered Sanderson must be detained in a secure hospital until he is deemed well enough to be released.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Mr Justice Goss said: “As has been said many times, this is truly a very sad case where a very mentally unwell man has caused the death of his mother.
“For some years now Steven Sanderson has been suffering from a severe mental illness diagnosed as schizophrenia with many paranoid delusions.
“Although he does not have a history of the use of significant violence, the act he committed in this case was a sustained act of violence on his mother which caused injuries from which she, in due course, died.”
The judge said doctors who had examined Sanderson concluded his mental condition was such that it was appropriate to make him subject to a hospital order with restrictions, which are necessary for the protection of the public.
Justice Goss said Sanderson would only be released if and when a tribunal was satisfied it was safe to do so.
He added: “This court, and in particular his family members, wish that he can recover and will recover as soon as possible and be in a state where he can be released from hospital but at the moment I’m satisfied it’s necessary to make these orders at this time.”
Turning to members of the family in the public gallery, Justice Goss said: “I hope this process will at least take you along the route towards better times ahead.
“Thank you very much for your dignity and fortitude in relation to what must be a terrible set of circumstances.”
Widowed mum-of-four Mrs Sanderson had lived with her son up until 2016 but that came to an end because his behaviour toward her deteriorated, the jury were told. In the months leading up to her death, he had become more threatening and aggressive and she was becoming scared of him, the court heard.
However Mrs Sanderson remained supportive of her son and visited him almost daily to help him and he relied on her for assistance with things such as finances, shopping and banking.
On Tuesday July 30, Mrs Sanderson went to visit Sanderson at his home on Wellington Street, Blyth, just before 9.30am.
A witness who walked past the house heard a dog barking and growling aggressively and when the witness retraced her steps, having been to the shop, Mrs Sanderson came out.
She was bleeding, visibly distressed and extremely dishevelled and her coat and handbag were ripped. The woman and other members of the public came to her assistance.
A Good Samaritan called 999 and told the call handler blood was “spurting” from Mrs Sanderson’s arm. Another witness noticed she also had extensive bruising to her face.
Mrs Sanderson told the witness she had been attacked by her son, who she said had punched and kicked her and tried to strangle her. She also said he had made attempts to bite her.
She said he had a Pit Bull type terrier cross that became overlyexcited during the assault and had repeatedly bitten her on her arms.
She told another witness Sanderson had “banged her head off the wall” and explained he had mental health issues. Mrs Sanderson was left with lacerations and puncture wounds to her arms and hands and severe bruising to her face.
Body worn footage from a police officer shows Mrs Sanderson saying, while in hospital: “He just started shouting and the dog got up a height.”
Mrs Sanderson went on to say he had grabbed her neck and punched her and tried to bite her face. When she spoke to her daughter, she said Sanderson had “battered me” and “he flipped out”.
She added that he accused her of killing her husband, headbutted her, strangled her, punched her, banged her head off the wall and that his dog had attacked her.
As her family frantically tried to get to the hospital, Mrs Sanderson’s condition deteriorated.
She had a bleed on the brain and was taken to the RVI for surgery and never recovered. She died on August 4 last year when her life support was switched off.
A pathologist concluded she died from the bleeding on the brain resulting from multiple blunt head injuries.
The court heard Sanderson has a long history of mental illness and has been deemed unfit to enter pleas or stand trial. He had symptoms typical of schizophrenia and paranoid delusions and a belief people could hear or discern what he was thinking. He had spent two period in a psychiatric hospital, including in May last year.
The court heard he also had a heroin addiction and was on methadone at the time.