Newton Poppleford, Devon – A 68-year-old man who killed his older sister with a hammer at their shared home has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.
Richard Law admitted to the manslaughter of his sister, Judith Law, 70, by reason of diminished responsibility, following a brutal attack in January this year. The incident took place at the siblings' home on Lark Rise in the quiet Devon village of Newton Poppleford.
Emergency services were called on the afternoon of January 17 after Law dialed 999 and confessed: “I’ve killed my sister, and so I need you to come. We’ve both gone mad, I mean, mentally. I just couldn’t cope with it all.”
When police arrived, they found Judith Law dead in her bed, having suffered catastrophic head injuries from at least six hammer blows. A post-mortem confirmed she died as a result of severe blunt force trauma.
Exeter Crown Court heard that the siblings, both reclusive, had been suffering from a shared mental decline in the months leading up to the killing. Prosecutor Jo Martin KC told the court that the pair had discussed suicide and were increasingly withdrawn from society.
Law later told psychiatrists that on the day of the killing, he and his sister spoke about how long their bodies would take to decompose if they simply remained in bed and stopped eating. He said he felt this was the day to end both of their lives but was ultimately unable to go through with taking his own.
Law, who had no prior history of violence, was found to be suffering from a severe depressive disorder. He was originally charged with murder but his plea to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility was accepted after psychiatric evaluations.
The court heard that the siblings’ relationship had been strained, particularly after their home was damaged in a flood in 2023, leading to further isolation and stress.
Defending, Dan Pawson-Pounds described Law as a long-term recluse whose mental health had steadily deteriorated. Despite tensions, there had been no indication from neighbours or friends that the situation could escalate into violence.
Sentencing Law, Judge Anna Richardson imposed a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act, along with a Section 41 restriction order — meaning he will be held in a secure psychiatric facility indefinitely.
“On January 17 you rang 999 telling the operator that you had killed your sister, that you had struck her with a hammer more than once, and that you had both gone mad,” the judge said. “I accept that you are genuinely remorseful. The protection of the public is not best served by a penal sentence of limited duration, but rather by indefinite treatment in hospital.”
Law will remain detained until doctors determine it is safe for him to be released, a decision that will require approval from the Secretary of State.
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