Man admits killing bedbound grandfather in Mottingham

Ben Oliver, 25, admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.

A "troubled and angry young man" has admitted killing his bedbound grandfather in a knife attack.

Ben Oliver stabbed his 74-year-old grandfather David Oliver to death in Mottingham, south London, on 19 January 2021.

The 25-year-old defendant admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. He was cleared of murder by jurors at the Old Bailey.

Oliver, of Bexleyheath, was remanded into custody for sentencing on 27 June.

The court heard Oliver attacked his bedbound grandfather, who lay "helpless" in his bedroom following a stroke.

Louis Mably QC, for the prosecution, said: "He had been repeatedly stabbed and slashed with a knife in the face, and in particular in the neck, which had effectively been cut open.

"It was a brutal attack, plainly carried out with the intention of killing him."

Sexual offences

The defendant had become "very angry" after learning of allegations against his grandfather of historic sexual abuse of girls, Mr Mably said.

Oliver then told his grandmother what he had done immediately afterwards, the court heard.

Jurors were told the grandson has Autistic Spectrum Disorder, which combined with other emotional and mental factors, diminished his responsibility for the killing.

In 2016, the younger man was convicted of sexual offences against a young girl when he was aged 15, the court was told.

He was released from youth detention in September 2019.

In the months before the killing, he became aware of allegations of sexual abuse against his grandfather, who was also said to have mistreated his wife and had affairs.

The defendant was also depressed and had suicidal thoughts, jurors were told.

Mr Mably said: "He was a troubled and angry young man."

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