Darlington man jailed for knife attack which caused his mother's death

Adam Burnside grabbed a knife from his mother's kitchen drawer before launching into a violent attack which left his stepfather, Paramijit Singh, fighting for his life with a punctured lung and a laceration to his heart and his mother, Susan Ward, collapsed on the floor after suffering a fatal heart attack.

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Judge Stephen Ashurst praised the Christian values of Mr Singh who had told the court that he had forgiven his son and hoped that he would get the help he needed to deal with his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

In a victim impact statement read out at Teesside Crown Court following Burnside's conviction for manslaughter, Mr Singh spoke of the gulf left in his heart as a result of the defendant's violent outburst.

"I have forgiven him and I know that Susie has forgiven him as well, I want him to get the help that he needs to get better," he said.

"I have lost my best friend, my soulmate and partner of 40 years. I can't help thinking that I could have done more to protect Susie and it's that guilt that I struggle with."

Teesside Crown Court heard how Burnside had struggled with OCD for a number of years but he did not suffer from any psychotic illnesses.

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard how Burnside admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after his knife attack on Mr Singh and possession of a bladed article but had denied a charge of manslaughter after his mother died following the attack.

The court heard how Burnside had drunk nine pints of beer the night he turned up on his mother's doorstep despite knowing that the couple disapproved of him calling round late at night and particularly when he had been drinking.

Jurors were told that the night of violence, which ended with Susan Ward collapsed, had turned the family's life upside down.

Sentencing Burnside, Judge Ashurst said: "Your stepfather hoped to have many more years with her, even with their failing health, but all of that was stopped by your violent attack on January 5 this year.

"I know you have had enormous difficulty coping with your condition it would usually take you 20 minutes to get through the flat due to your condition but something that night was different.

"You went straight to the kitchen, it is clear that you lost your temper, you have lost it before and had shouting matches but you have never been violent before and it is to Mr Singh's credit that he never said you had been violent to your mother or him before."

Burnside was jailed for nine years for wounding with intent of causing grievous bodily harm with intent for repeatedly stabbing Mr Singh, seven years for the manslaughter of his mother and an additional six months for possession of a bladed article. All sentences are to run concurrently. A charge of attempted murder for the attack on Mr Singh was withdrawn following his guilty plea to the wounding with intent charge.

Speaking after the trial, Detective Chief Superintendent Adrian Green, of Durham Police, who led the investigation, welcomed the sentence.

He said: “This was a pointless and violent knife attack by Burnside on his step-father, which not only left him with life-threatening injuries, but also brought about the stress that killed his mother.

“I am pleased that Burnside admitted the attack on his step-father, and that the jury convicted him of the manslaughter of his mother.

“The sentence that has been passed will give Burnside the time to reflect on his dreadful actions, the consequences of which he will have to live with for the rest of his life.”

Andrea Milsom from CPS North East, said: “After she witnessed Burnside’s vicious stabbing of her partner, the stress caused to his mother initiated a cardio-respiratory attack which led directly to her death.

“While he has already pleaded guilty to charges relating to the attack on Paramjit Singh, Adam has never accepted that his violent actions were in any way responsible for his mother’s death.

“The Crown Prosecution Service has drawn on comprehensive medical expertise to identify a clear causal link between the attack on Mr Singh and the tragic death of Susan Ward."