Man detained in psychiatric hospital for killing mother and attacking father at family home

Robert Orrey, aged 31, of Burnell Road, Admaston had previously admitted the manslaughter by diminished responsibility of his mother Claire Orrey at their family home when he appeared at Stafford Crown Court on March 20.

He had also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his father Stephen Orrey.

The couple were attacked on July 30, in what the court had previously been told was a “sad case” that occurred when Orrey was “severely mentally unwell”.

Ms Rachel Brand KC told Stafford Crown Court today that Robert Orrey had previously been sectioned after being declared “psychotic” following an incident in 2021 in which he had attempted to attack his mother with a baseball bat.

He had been treated at the Redwoods Centre in Shrewsbury but after his release, his mother, who worked as a nurse, was said to have been “continuously worried” about her son.

The court was told that before the attack, Orrey had stopped taking his medication prescribed by his psychiatrist.

Ms Brand said in the early hours of Sunday, July 30, Stephen Orrey had returned from work and had heard noises coming from his wife's bedroom.

She said as he went to investigate, Mr Orrey was attacked on the landing by his son who “struck his father on the head with a hammer”.

She said he managed to get to the bathroom and lock himself in then try to calm his son down while he called the police.

When officers arrived, they found the body of Claire Orrey in her bed. She had been struck several times with a claw hammer as she slept.

After his arrest, Robert Orrey told police: “Angels and demons told me to kill mum and dad. They said they would be going to hell.”

The court also heard that Orrey had been using recreational drugs since he was around 19.

His sister, Louise Orrey, said in a statement that her brother regularly smoked cannabis but also had begun taking ketamine and cocaine, and said he had recently become “obsessed with conspiracy theories”.

By the time of the attack in July last year, Orrey, who worked for his father as a security guard, was spending £140 a week on cocaine.

Dr Tom Clark, a forensic psychiatrist told the court that Orrey had been diagnosed with “paranoid schizophrenia” which was a life-long condition that was liable to leave him suffering “further episodes of psychosis in future”.

He said at the time of the attack Orrey had a “genuine belief” he was acting out of “mercy” as he believed his parents faced torture.

Judge Kristina Montgomery KC described the case as a "tragedy".

She said: “The loss of life is always a tragedy but none more so when it is at the hands of a person who loved, and was loved by, the victim.”

She said Orrey's drug-taking had escalated his condition and had led to the “rapid decline” in his mental health but the attack on his parents was “not a drug-induced psychosis” but was one “driven by voices in his head” caused by his life-long schizophrenia condition.

She added that she was “wholly satisfied” that Orrey's culpability had been reduced by his mental health illness and ordered he be detained in a secure hospital for a “significant period of time”.

She told him he would “not be released into the community until he was considered safe to do so”.

Following an earlier hearing, Superintendent Tony Garner from West Mercia Police, who was Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said: “It’s a very tragic case and it’s important we continue to remember Claire throughout proceedings, who family have described as a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, and grandma, who lit up the world of those who knew her.”

Claire’s daughter said in a tribute to her mother: “My mom radiated love and lit up the world around her with joy and laughter. She was a wonderful wife, sister, daughter, aunt and grandmother who surrounded her family with happiness.

“She was a mother you could only dream to have, a friend to many and a tremendous role model in her nursing career.

“For us, life will never be complete without her, we will continue to miss her every second of the day. Nothing will ever compare to her love, she will forever be loved and missed eternally.

“We ask for privacy at this time as we continue to grieve at this difficult time.”