Son who heard voices telling him to kill jailed for life for hammer murder of bed-bound mother

From the Newshound archive · first published 10 October 2026.

Michael Bowen, 35, received a minimum 16-year sentence after being found guilty of murdering his 65-year-old mother Janet Bowen at their Maple Gardens home in Yateley, Hampshire, during the early hours of New Year's Eve. Janet, who had recently suffered a stroke and relied entirely on round-the-clock care, was struck more than ten times to the head and face with a hammer. Winchester Crown Court's jury dismissed his diminished responsibility defence despite evidence that he suffered from substance-induced psychotic disorder.

Judge Adam Feest KC said it was 'impossible to imagine the terror she experienced knowing it was her own son committing this act of serious violence against her.'

His family said that heavy drug and alcohol use had turned a 'caring, loving son' into someone who, before the attack, had experienced voices urging him to kill his mother.

A victim impact statement from Janet's daughter Samantha portrayed her as 'a gentle and kind person with a heart of gold, always putting others before herself.'