Student who cut off penis and stabbed mother while on Meow Meow drug jailed

U K:  A student who cut off his own penis with a pair of scissors and stabbed his mum 11 times while under the influence of powerful drug meow meow was jailed today.

Charlie Mann, 21, from Haywards Heath, West Sussex, was naked when he carried out the drink and alcohol-fuelled attack on mum Emma at their family home in December 2013.

Emma, who mouthed ‘I love you’ to Mann as he appeared in the dock at Hove Crown Court, East Sussex, suffered multiple stab wounds and a punctured lung.

The court was told Emma locked herself in the bathroom before calling 999 and telling the operator: “My son’s just attacked me and stabbed me and he’s going mental downstairs with the knives.”

Police officers smashed a window to gain entry to the house before blood-soaked Mann climbed out.

He was described as ‘delusional’ and appeared oblivious to the pain of the injuries he inflicted upon himself.

Today the court heard that Mann had taken the drug mephedrone - known as meow meow - before the attack.

Amy Packham, prosecuting, said: “The defendant said: ‘I have stabbed her multiple times, I have killed her. I have stabbed my mum and I need to be punished for what I have done.’

“He said he had taken meow meow, loads of lines of it, and a lot of alcohol.

 “He appeared manic and deranged at the time.

“This was drug induced psychosis.

“His drug consumption was voluntary so the defendant could no longer rely on the defence of insanity.

“The only issue is his mental state and his capacity to form intent.”

Mann was arrested at the scene and spent the next eight months in hospital being treated for physical injuries, including having his penis sewn back on, and received psychiatric help.

He was moved to prison in August last year awaiting the court case.

Mann was given a 16-month prison sentence, reduced to eight months but will only serve a further four weeks owing to the time he has already spent in custody.

After his release he will undergo drink and drug treatment supervised by agency MAPA, who will also arrange accommodation for him.

Judge David Rennie said: “This case has a number of features which make it if not unique wholly exceptional. The lack of total awareness and capacity to form intent was the direct result of drug induced psychosis.

“I further recognise that in your psychotic state you inflicted life altering injuries on yourself and have taken this cocktail of drugs before without any particular side effects.

 “Your mother is an extraordinary human being who has conducted herself with enormous dignity, and I thank her very much indeed.”

Mann, who pleaded guilty to GBH at an earlier hearing, will continue to receive medical treatment for severing his penis on top of the psychiatric support.

Before the sentencing, Emma said: “It’s hard to see that your son’s fate has already been sealed.”

Mann was described in court as a ‘bright boy’ who became involved in drug taking after his parents’ marriage broke up when he was 11.

Neighbour Paul Goldfinch, 67, said: “I was woken up really early by the sound of shouting and screaming.

“At first I thought it was people coming home late from a party, but after opening the curtains I noticed there was a real commotion.

“Within two minutes the first police car arrived, shortly followed by another and two ambulances.

“Four police cars turned up in total and I saw a man being carried out of the house on a stretcher. It was a very bizarre and strange incident, nothing like this has ever happened before.

“They are quite a quiet family and a lot of the time the house seems to be unoccupied.”

Mann’s dad Nicholas also attended the day-long hearing. Emma refused to comment on the sentencing outside court.