A 35-year-old man is on trial for murder after allegedly using a hammer to kill his 65-year-old mother, who was bed-bound following a stroke. The defendant, Michael Bowen, claims he heard voices, including one he believed to be God, telling him to end his mother Janet Bowen's suffering.
Bowen has admitted to killing his mother on New Year's Eve but denies murder, offering a plea of manslaughter. He told police he believed a hammer was a more humane weapon than a knife for the act. The prosecution stated that while Bowen may have been experiencing an abnormal mental state, his actions were deliberate.
Opening the case at Salisbury Crown Court, prosecutor Simon Jones told the jury that Bowen would claim diminished responsibility due to a psychological condition. However, Jones argued that the killing was a deliberate act of violence. A pathologist determined Mrs. Bowen died from multiple blunt force trauma to the face, with at least 10 hard blows likely.
The court heard that Bowen returned to his mother's home in Yateley, Hampshire, in the early hours of New Year's Eve and smashed a window. A neighbor, Louise Scott, called the police at 4:25 a.m. after hearing the smashing glass and bottles, expressing concern for Janet Bowen's welfare.
Bowen fled the scene through the broken window and walked several miles. He was later seen by a couple outside their home in Eversley, Hampshire, around 7:18 a.m. He initially claimed to be a gardener trying to get to Yateley but returned and used a shovel to smash their living room window, smiling at one of the residents during the incident. He then ran to a nearby farm, where he was seen by Tejendra Sapkota with blood on his hands and face. Bowen reportedly pointed a knife at Mr. Sapkota before locking himself in a storage room, where police arrested him.
Mrs. Bowen was discovered by her carer, Farai Jenam, when she arrived for her morning shift. She was pronounced dead at 9:51 a.m. The hammer was found at the foot of her bed.
During police interviews, Bowen admitted to killing his mother. He cited a history of substance abuse and an argument with his mother about a smashed window. He reiterated hearing voices, explaining that they usually told him to harm himself, but on this occasion, they instructed him to harm his mother. He claimed the voice of God told him his mother was suffering and to end it.
Evidence of MDMA, codeine, ketamine, and cannabis was found in Bowen's system. The defense is expected to argue for diminished responsibility due to psychological conditions. The prosecution countered that while Bowen may have had an abnormality of mental functioning, it was not from a recognized medical condition, asserting he understood his actions and deliberately chose to use the hammer repeatedly.
Bowen has also admitted to charges of criminal damage to property and possession of cannabis. The trial is ongoing.