Man Carried His Mum To Balcony, Put Her On Railing And Pushed Her To Her Death

A court has heard how a man carried his mum to a balcony, put her on the railing and pushed her to her death.

Robert Knight, 52, is on trial for murdering his mum June, 79, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, at Langley Lodge in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, last December.

When police responded shortly after her death, Robert pointed at a fire escape and told police “I have just killed her, my mother, I threw her off there”. But he has pleaded not guilty to murder. According to him, he killed his mum because he struggled to cope with seeing her suffer.

Robert visited his mum on the morning of her death before returning at around 9.45pm to kill her. Footage shows him leaving her room, carrying her through the fire escape and onto a balcony.

Prosecutor Matthew Jewell said: “The footage sees him putting Mrs Knight onto the railing, and then pushing her off. He watched her fall down to her death. He then came back into the home, and at around 10pm presents himself to a member of staff.

Mrs Knight had suffered from Alzheimer’s for a long time and was in the final stages of her life when her son killed her. She suffered a traumatic brain injury following the 13-ft fall and died shortly after and her son was arrested at the scene.

Knight admitted killing his mother but denied murdering her, claiming he lost control of himself at the time.

Prosecutors allege that he was in control and that he “acted deliberately and callously” to take his mother’s life.

The trial continues.