LONDON MAN SENTENCED FOR THE KILLING OF HIS ELDERLY MOTHER
A man named Michael Fitzgibbon, who once worked as a black cab driver, has been sentenced to six years in prison after confessing to the manslaughter of his 100-year-old mother, Hannah Fitzgibbon, in her east London flat in Stepney.The fatal incident happened in February when Fitzgibbon stabbed his mother in the neck.
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, citing depression and early Parkinson's disease.
The Old Bailey heard that Fitzgibbon found it difficult to handle his responsibilities as her main caregiver.
The court described his actions as occurring in a dazed state, where he retrieved a knife from the kitchen, pushed his mother down, and inflicted the stab wound.
After the attack, Fitzgibbon showed remorse by kissing his mother and whispering “sorry.” He then contacted emergency services and admitted, “everything's got on top of me.
I've just gone mad.” Judge Richard Hone described Mrs.
Fitzgibbon as a lively, active woman loved by those close to her.
Addressing the court, Fitzgibbon expressed regret, saying, “I didn't know what I was doing.
I loved my mum.” His son, Peter Fitzgibbon, delivered a statement condemning the act for depriving his mother of a peaceful passing and causing her trauma at the end of her life.
