ST IVES MAN KILLS MOTHER IN PSYCHOTIC EPISODE, DECLARED INSANE
A warehouse worker who murdered his mother and dismembered her body has been declared not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.Ernest Grusza, aged 41, was suffering from a rare psychotic episode when he killed Wieslawa Mierzejeska with a meat cleaver in St Ives in February.
Cambridge Crown Court heard that Grusza told a psychiatrist he believed a devil was inside his mother.
He is expected to be sentenced to a hospital order on Tuesday.
The court detailed that after killing Ms Mierzejeska in her flat during the night between February 21 and 22, Grusza cut off her head and stored her body parts in a fridge.
The case was presented as one of severe mental health issues, with a forensic psychiatrist diagnosing him with bipolar affective disorder currently in a manic episode with psychosis.
The prosecutor outlined that Grusza had no memory of the killing but acknowledged it was unlawful.
The incident followed an episode where Grusza, who lived on Norris Road — the same as the local police station — had visited a shop claiming to have won the Euromillions jackpot, which later led to him being covered in blood and the police discovering his mother’s body parts.
His defense argued that Grusza believed he was Jesus at the time.
The judge, Mr Justice Fraser, remarked that failures in social and medical help may have contributed but should not be held against the defendant.
Grusza's mental health condition was further described as bipolar mania with psychosis, and the court heard that his mother had expressed fear and sought help from authorities prior to the incident.
