The family of Beatrice Corry, who was killed by her son Matthew in Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire earlier this year, has paid tribute to an ‘utterly dedicated…and dynamic mother and grandmother’.
Yesterday (Monday 10 July) Matthew Corry, 46, was given a Section 37 Hospital Order after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to the manslaughter, on the grounds of diminished responsibility, of his 84-year-old mother.
Matthew Corry will receive treatment at a psychiatric hospital and Section 41 restrictions imposed by a judge at Bristol Crown Court mean he will only be released with the consent of the Secretary of State for Justice.
Police were called to the home address of Beatrice and Matthew on Chipping Campden High Street at 12.10am on Friday 6 January, where Beatrice was found with head injuries. Paramedics could not save Beatrice and she was declared dead soon after.
After the sentencing hearing, the Corry family issued the following statement:
“Beatrice Corry was an utterly dedicated, caring, fun loving and dynamic mother and grandmother.
“She will be so, so missed by her children, grandchildren and the community of Chipping Campden. We all loved her very much.
“We have learnt, whilst going through this horrific experience, that every year around 100 people in this country are killed by people with mental health problems. Often, these people are mothers, killed by their sons for whom they are caring.
“We urge this government to invest more resources into addressing this often overlooked homicide and to do more to prevent other families in the future going through such an awful, awful experience and to prevent other loving mothers, so often alone and vulnerable, from dying in this way.
“We would like to thank the police very much for all the support that they have given us throughout this time and we would ask that our families now be left in privacy to grieve this horrendous loss and to try to rebuild our lives.”
Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Usher, from the Major Crime Investigation Unit, said: “The death of Beatrice at the hands of her son is incredibly tragic for the Corry family.
“I welcome the sentencing as it means Matthew Corry will be in a high-security hospital receiving the appropriate support that he requires.
“My thoughts and condolences remain with Beatrice’s family, friends and the residents of Chipping Campden as they continue to come to terms with what happened.”
