Life for man who murdered mother

Callum Thomas stabbed his parent

A Plymouth man who stabbed his mother has been convicted of murder after his guilty plea to manslaughter was rejected by a jury.

Callum Thomas, 33, has been sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 12 years before being eligible for parole.

He stabbed his mother, 58-year-old Debra Cantrell, had pleaded not guilty to murder at Plymouth Crown Court, but guilty plea to manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

Because of time already served in custody, Mr Thomas has 10 years and 297 days to go before he can be considered for release and that would be under licence for the rest of his life.  

Plymouth Crown Court heard that police were contacted in the early hours of Wednesday 31 May by a member of the public from North Carolina, in the USA, who was reporting a concern for welfare, having received a call from Mr Thomas on Monday 8 May 2023.  

When a mutual, online gaming friend could not get hold of him later in the month, the caller raised concerns with police. 

Officers then attended an address on Colwill Road, Plymouth where they found the body of Ms Cantrell in an advanced state of decomposition. 

Enquiries were made to locate her son, and he was found in Yelverton and arrested on suspicion of murder the same day.   

A forensic post-mortem examination established that Ms Cantrell had died as a result of a stab wound to the chest. It is believed she died on Sunday 7 May 2023. 

It was reported that there was an extensive history of domestic violence between the defendant and his mother, going back more than 10 years and, during that time, Mr Thomas had threatened to kill his mother on several occasions.  

Judge Peter Johnson acknowledged that Mr Thomas had problems with his mental health and that there was no suggestion that he had planned to kill his mother. But he also said that the relationship between Thomas and his mother had been “tempestuous and volatile” and that he had been violent towards her in the past.

A spokesperson for the family said: “Debs will be missed by family and friends.

“We would like to thank the police and other agencies for the support we have received over the past 13 months.”

Detective Inspector Neil Blanchard said: “I would like to thank the jury for carefully considering the evidence and reaching their decision in this trial.   

“This has been a complex investigation and I would like to thank all those who have been involved and provided their expertise to allow us to prosecute this case, including our colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service  

“Debra’s family and friends have had to endure a tragic loss and I hope that this verdict and sentence brings them some measure of closure and are now able to go on with their lives.”  

“My thoughts, and those of the entire investigation team, are with them at this time.”