A crazed thug battered his brother to death with a guitar while he slept after the pair had a row over their elderly mum's care.
Steven Barnes brutally bludgeoned his sibling Paul Hawkesford-Barnes using the instrument in March this year. He also assaulted his mum Irene, aged in her 80s, following the argument, a court heard.
Paul, 57, suffered fatal head and upper body injuries in the attack. Irene was found with facial injuries with the bloodstained and damaged guitar lying nearby.
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Paul had been at the property helping to care for Irene, who was suffering with dementia. She has since passed away but not as a direct result of her injuries.
Barnes, 64, later handed himself into police and went on to plead guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He also admitted wounding his mum.
Yesterday (November 18), Barnes, of Radford, Coventry, was jailed for 20 years at Leamington Justice Centre. In a statement following the sentencing, Paul’s wife Juliet Hawkesford-Barnes said: "Our children and I are truly devastated at the loss of Paul and the unforgivable events that Paul and Irene suffered.
"Paul was a friendly, loyal and funny person with a huge personality, his death has left a huge hole in the lives of our family and many of his friends. We would like to thank West Midlands Police and Victim Support for all their hard work, guidance and support during these terrible months.
"As a family we ask that our privacy is respected as we grieve and deal with this traumatic loss."
Detective Inspector Ranj Sangha, from West Midlands Police, added: "What happened that night has ripped apart a family. It's hard to imagine the pain and suffering they've all experienced at the loss of Paul and Irene.
"This was a brutal attack on Paul and what happened to him, along with her own recollections of what went on, will undoubtedly have impacted upon Irene. Our thoughts remain with everyone who has been affected by this tragedy.”
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