A drug dealer, Jason Phinn, 35, was sentenced to 13 years in prison at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, September 19, after being found guilty of manslaughter for killing his 64-year-old mother, Christie Eugene, at their home in Brixton last November.
Phinn had a history of damaging his mother’s property and was given a restraining order in 2021 to keep him away from her. After injuring his mother, he called 999 and told the operator that he had strangled her, but an ambulance wasn’t sent, and Christie, who was still conscious, said she was okay.
Phinn called again to ask for the police, expressing worry that he might have broken his mother’s neck, but later told officers he couldn’t remember what happened because he “blacked out.” The jury couldn’t be certain that Phinn intended to kill her or cause serious harm, which is the legal requirement for a murder charge.
On November 2, 2023, police went to their home on Strathleven Road and found Phinn under the influence of drugs, smoking marijuana, while his seriously injured mother was inside. Christie was taken to the hospital with a split lip, bruises inside her mouth, and a severe head injury. She died later that evening.
During the trial, a doctor said the injuries to Christie’s neck were consistent with strangulation that lasted between 15 to 30 seconds, though she had never lost consciousness. The exact cause of the fatal head injury remains unclear, but the judge concluded it was likely caused by Phinn hitting her head against a wall. Phinn claimed to have blacked out, but the prosecutor argued that he was aware of his mother’s weakened state.
