A man who carried out a frenzied attack on his elderly mother and told passers-by “call the police, I think I’ve killed her” has been jailed for seven years.
Several people saw 59-year-old Sean Van Diepenbrock in Appleby just after 8am on January 13 2022. He was naked, shouting and swearing.
Van Diepenbrock had initially broken the kitchen window of a family’s home.
On Doomgate, he was approached by witnesses who were told call the police, “I need help” and “I think I’ve killed her”. One witness was alarmed as he knew the defendant had lived with his elderly mother, Carlisle Crown Court heard.
Police went to Van Diepenbrock’s address. “The front door was ajar and several knives could be seen on the ground in the lobby of the property, one of which appeared to be blood-stained,” said prosecutor Tim Evans.
“Clothes, scarves, shoes and furniture were strewn about the floor and as an officer gained entry he could see broken chairs, pieces of wood and broken crockery.”
Van Diepenbrock’s mother was lying on the floor behind a sofa in her night clothes, and was rolled on to her side by one witness.
“He noticed lots of blood on her left ear and a large bump above her eyebrow with a lot of blood on her hair, forehead, eye and cheek,” said the prosecutor.
“She was initially unresponsive but then was able to groan that her head and hip hurt. But it was apparent that she did not know where she was or what had happened.”
She was taken to hospital where a CT scan revealed she had a brain injury, multiple fractures to her jaw and body, and numerous lacerations and abrasions.
A surgeon stated the majority of injuries would have been caused by significant blunt force trauma, possibly inflicted by broken parts of a table at the scene. The surgeon couldn’t exclude a knife being used.
Van Diepenbrock’s mother remained in hospital for more than two weeks and was then re-admitted due to deep vein thrombosis.
A police officer who had arrived at Doomgate saw Van Diepenbrock, who stated: “I have battered my mother. I’ve beat her up.”
In an impact statement, his mother spoke of struggling at home in the aftermath, of requiring walking aids and having to sleep downstairs due to the pelvic injuries. She had since moved to another area but was wanting to have future contact with him.
Van Diepenbrock admitted causing his mother grievous bodily harm with intent, and criminal damage. The court heard of him harbouring a simmering resentment towards his mother beforehand and that ingestion of a psychoactive substance — combined with cannabis use — could have provoked an acute psychotic reaction.
Van Diepenbrock was sentenced today by Judge Ian Unsworth KC, who concluded that he should be classed as a dangerous offender. Judge Unsworth heard the offending was out of character for a defendant who had shown remorse in the aftermath.
Van Diepenbrock must serve two-thirds of his seven-year prison sentence before being considered for release, and then an extended three-year licence period.
“You launched a wholly unprovoked attack in which a weapon or weapons were used against your vulnerable mother in her own home,” the judge told him.
