‘I Have To Kill My Parents’ — Detained Teenager Says After Axe Attack On Parents

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

A 16-year-old boy has been detained under the Mental Health Act after admitting attempting to murder his parents in a brutal axe attack at their Sussex home.

The attack took place in the early hours while his parents slept. The teenager, then aged 15, had waited up watching television before arming himself with a large double-handed axe from the garage. He struck his father multiple times as he slept, causing at least five skull fractures, a bleed on the brain, and defensive wounds. He then turned the weapon on his mother, severing part of her ear and leaving deep cuts to her face, arm, and thigh.

Both parents survived after being rushed to hospital. His father sustained six axe wounds to his head and face, with part of his skull embedded in his brain, while his mother suffered multiple lacerations and the partial loss of her ear.

Lewes Crown Court, sitting at Brighton, heard that the boy had planned the attack, telling police he thought an axe would be a “quick” weapon. He said he had been severely bullied, did not want to go to school, and intended to kill himself afterwards. In a diary entry read in court, he had written: “I have to kill my parents tonight. There’s no other way. I’ll never get better, things will never change and I don’t have a choice.”

The court was told the boy suffers from autism and depressive disorder. Appearing via video link from a secure hospital, he listened as his parents, who continue to support him, sat in court alongside other relatives.

Prosecutor Ryan Richter said the teenager had admitted wanting to kill his parents before taking his own life, believing this would spare them the pain of his suicide. He had been open about his hatred of school and the impact of bullying.

The Honourable Mrs Justice Justine Thornton KC ruled that the boy’s actions were the product of serious mental illness and ordered his continued detention in a secure hospital. She noted the enduring support of his family, describing him as “a kind, thoughtful and intelligent young man who has experienced significant trauma which led to a breakdown.”

The court also heard that his parents had previously sought professional help for his mental health.