KIEREN SMITH FROM WEYMOUTH SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL MURDER OF MOTHER IN DORSET

Kieren Smith, a 17-year-old resident of Weymouth, Dorset, was formally sentenced after being convicted of the heinous murder of his mother, Leah Whittle. The court proceedings revealed chilling details about the incident, which took place at their family home on 21 July. Smith, who had a known obsession with knives, carried out a savage attack that involved stabbing his mother a staggering 94 times. The brutality of the assault shocked everyone present, and the court heard that Smith’s troubled background played a significant role in the tragic events.

It was disclosed during the trial that Smith, who was expelled from school at the age of 14, had spent the previous two years confined largely to his room, passively watching DVDs. This period of isolation appeared to have contributed to his mental state, which was described as troubled and emotionally fragile. The judge, Guy Boney, did not hold back in condemning the act, describing it as “deeply shocking and utterly dreadful.” He emphasized the severity of the crime, stating, “You have been convicted of a deeply shocking and really utterly dreadful offence - that of killing your own mother in as brutal a way as can be imagined.”

In light of the gravity of the crime, the judge handed down a life sentence to Smith, stipulating that he must serve a minimum of 15 years before being eligible for parole. At the time of the murder, Smith was only 16 years old. During the trial, Smith claimed that his mother’s death was the result of a conflict involving drug dealers from Doncaster, who allegedly targeted her because of his brother’s drug debts. His defense lawyer, Nicholas Haggan QC, painted a picture of a young man battling loneliness and emotional difficulties. Haggan highlighted Smith’s low IQ of 72, placing him in the bottom 4% of the population, and noted his struggles with alcohol and drugs. The lawyer described Smith as a profoundly lonely individual who finds it extremely difficult to express his feelings, stating, “He has told us again and again he finds it impossible to cry.”

The case drew widespread media attention due to the extreme brutality of the murder and the tragic circumstances surrounding a young man with significant psychological and emotional challenges. Dorset Police’s Detective Inspector Marcus Hester described the attack as “a sustained assault on a woman who was unable to defend herself,” underscoring the horrific nature of the crime and the devastating impact on the victim’s family and the community of Weymouth.