8 hours ago
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Humberside Police
Rick Parker, 42, was detained under a hospital order with restrictions
A man has been detained in a secure mental health unit after he admitted killing his mother at their family home.
Helen Harrison, 59, was found dead by police after being stabbed and strangled at her house in Aspen Close, Market Weighton, East Yorkshire, on 5 March 2023.
Rick Parker, 42, was originally charged with murder, but last year prosecutors accepted a plea of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.
Parker, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia, was given a hospital order with restrictions during a hearing at Hull Crown Court.
The court heard that Parker's behaviour had become "erratic" and he refused repeated attempts by his mother and sister to persuade him to get mental health support.
In one incident he attacked his stepfather causing bleeding and bruising, which led to the victim moving out of the house due to concerns over his safety.
On the day of the killing, his mother had called an ambulance to their home with the hope he could be taken to hospital for an assessment.
Harrison told paramedics her son "didn't seem to be in touch with reality".
However, the ambulance crew thought that Parker "had mental capacity", the court was told.
Minutes after the ambulance left, a couple walking past the house heard loud screaming and the front door being kicked and flexed outwards.
Parker called 999 and said "there had been an accident" adding "it's definitely a body bag job".
When paramedics and police arrived Parker appeared calm and said "I didn't mean to do it".
Humberside Police
Helen Harrison had tried getting mental health support for her son, a court heard
A post-mortem examination found Harrison had been strangled with enough force to make her unconscious, had suffered a stab wound to the chest, and there were also signs of her being beaten around the head.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, her partner said that the couple were looking forward to spending their retirements together.
"The home we shared together feels empty without her," he said.
"I miss her happy nature and the life we planned together. Nothing will ever replace Helen in my heart or life."
Judge John Thackray KC told Parker: "No sentence I can impose can undo the damage you have done".
He added he accepted that his schizophrenia meant he was "devoid of any control over your actions".
"The critical factor is the risk to the public," the judge said.
"The risk you pose is best managed by the secure psychiatric system."
