OFFENDER WHO MURDERED HIS MOTHER BELIEVED SHE WAS A DEMON, GIVEN INDEFINITE HOSPITAL ORDER
The case details how Daniel O'Hara-Wright was responsible for the killing of his mother, Carole Wright, who was 62 years old, on the Watlington Hill estate in Oxfordshire.On 10 December 2021, at Oxford Crown Court, he was acquitted of murder on the grounds of insanity.
Court proceedings revealed that O'Hara-Wright, then 24 and previously living on Regent Avenue in Hillingdon, carried out the assault during a walk at a National Trust site.
The attack was noted for its extreme violence, with the victim suffering injuries including the removal of her eyes—a phenomenon described by the pathologist as highly unusual and bizarre.
The cause of death was determined to be traumatic upper airway obstruction caused by blunt force trauma to her head, neck, and chest, combined with external pressure on her neck.
O'Hara-Wright claimed he believed his mother was a demon, which prompted his violent actions.
After the assault, he fled into traffic and subsequently broke into a house, where he spat faeces at a police officer and assaulted a nurse using a spoon.
The court ruled that he was unfit to stand in a standard detention setting and ordered an indefinite hospital stay.
The incident was characterized by authorities as tragic and horrific, with police expressing deep sympathy for the victim's family.