A man has been jailed for ten years after admitting to killing his father, following years of alleged sexual abuse.
52-year-old Paul Maurice was stabbed across the back and chest around 30 times at his family home in South East London on September 14, 2021.
Having been caught after fleeing the scene, his son, Sean Maurice, told officers: “I’ve got nothing to lose. You lot are trying to arrest me because I beat up my dad who abused me. He raped me, and you want to arrest me? What kind of f***ing justice is that?”
Appearing at the Old Bailey last Wednesday (Jan. 25), the father-of-one admitted to manslaughter and was acquitted of murder, claiming he lost control following a confrontation with his father. During the trial, jurors heard that the defendant’s upbringing had been “unhappy” and that his father had been “controlling, mean and sometimes violent”.
Outlining the facts earlier, Mr. Emlyn Jones said one of the victim’s neighbours, Mark Ovenell, raised the alarm after Mr. Maurice appeared slumped at his doorstep, fatally injured and covered in blood. Knowing that Paul had said that his son was responsible for his injuries, a police officer asked, “Which of your sons has done this?” to which he responded: “Sean”. Despite best efforts from the London Ambulance Service, who performed treatment on the driveway of his home, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Wood, the senior investigating officer of this case, said: “Our thoughts today are with the family who have been devastated by the events of that night. We know that Sean’s relationship with his father was a difficult one and had been for many years, however the level of violence used here was shocking and can never be justified. I am grateful to my team of officers who have worked so diligently in what was a very complex investigation.”
