A MAN with paranoid psychosis killed his mum as part of a plan to take her to a “happy place”, a court heard this week.

Jason Nellist, 41, was charged with the murder of his mum, 59-year-old Julie Clark, in Highmore Street, Hereford.

A trial into her death started on Monday at Birmingham Crown Court. Nellist was not present as he was found to be unfit to plea and attend.

Yesterday the jury returned a verdict which determined that Nellist did the act charged while under a disability.

Phil Bradley, prosecuting, said shortly before 6pm on January 9 of this year, Nellist deliberately walked into the path of a van being driven at 40mph on Roman Road as he was intent on suicide.

He was taken to hospital where his injuries were treated.

Police were aware Nellist had mental health difficulties and an officer went to Nellist’s mother’s home in Westfields, where she lived alone, at around 7pm. However, there was no answer at the door.

He returned at 10pm and went to the back of her home and saw her slumped on the kitchen floor. She had been repeatedly stabbed and it was quickly apparent she was dead.

The court heard that the night before, Nellist had recorded a message on an iPhone which he then posted to his friend. The message intended to explain his “plan”.

In the message he said he didn’t want to but he was ending his life, his mum’s, and his cat Gizmo’s because of their “nightmare life”.

He said: “The last thing on earth I would ever want to do is harm anyone”.

He said he wanted to take “us all to a more comfortable, happy place".

Mr Bradley said the next day Nellist went to B&Q at around 10.30am and bought rope and a hacksaw before returning to his flat in Nicholson Court, Bobblestock.

He killed his cat with the rope before going into Hereford to buy knives.

Receipts for the knives would later be found at his mother’s house.

The court heard that, once Nellist was treated for his injuries, he was interviewed by police.

He described how he went to his mum’s house in the afternoon on January 9 and then stabbed her in the back.

Mr Bradley said: “She turned and asked him why he had done that.

“She asked what the matter was and said she loved him.

“He said he told her he loved her more.”

His mum collapsed on the floor. He said he wanted her death to be rapid so he used the knife again.

He said it was all over in a couple of minutes.

She died from multiple stab wounds.

The judge explained to the jury that Nellist had paranoid psychosis and he would not be able to participate in the trial process in any meaningful way.

Judge Simon Drew QC said: “It doesn’t stop us from trying a defendant who is not present.

“They are not tried in the normal way. Instead you are going to get asked to decide whether or not he did the act with which he has been charged.”

This means that rather than finding Nellist guilty, the jury found that he did the act charged.

Nellist is due to be sentenced today.