'I KILLED MY AUNT' Jury must decide on insanity plea.Byline: SAMANTHA PARKER A WOMAN has denied murdering the aunt who raised her. Mum-of-one Diane Stevens, 54, of Appleton, Warrington, entered a not guilty plea by reason of insanity at Liverpool crown court yesterday. She is accused of killing Jean Nevin on January 12. Stevens listened as Judge Gerald Clifton told the jury the prosecution and the defence both agreed on the circumstances around the death of Mrs Nevin, of Green Leach Lane, St Helens St Helens may refer to: Places:
Judge Clifton said: "It is going to be an unusual trial, unusual in that the prosecution and defence both agree on what the verdict should be. "At the time of the death of this lady, this defendant was medically insane. "The law says the verdict should be not guilty by reason of insanity not guilty by reason of insanity n. plea in court of a person charged with a crime who admits the criminal act, but whose attorney claims he/she was so mentally disturbed at the time of the crime that he/she lacked the capacity to have intended to commit a crime. . The law also states only a jury can come to that view." John Benson John Benson may be:
dystonia musculo´rum defor´mans , an involuntary muscle involuntary muscle n. Any of the smooth muscles, except for the cardiac muscle, not under control of the will. spasm. He also outlined how Stevens lost her own mother as a child and had come to regard Mrs Nevin as her mother. He said she saw both Mrs Nevin and her father Richard Wilton on a regular basis and was a loving daughter. Mrs Nevin was found dead at her home by her neighbour Sylvia Cummings. The court heard her death was not thought to be suspicious at first. But a police investigation was launched when Stevens admitted in hospital to killing her aunt. She was admitted on the night Mrs Nevin died after calling her father in a distressed manner, saying "the grim reaper" was in her house. She told staff she had been seeing it for weeks and it had told her to do it. The events surrounding Mrs Nevin's death then came to light in a series of interviews with staff at Hollins Park hospital, where Stevens was admitted on mental health grounds. She admitted she had "helped her on her way". Stevens also said she was told to do it and it was also her intention to kill her father, so they could "start the journey to heaven together". (Proceeding) |
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