A jury in Bristol Crown Court has heard audio of a woman calmly telling a 999 operator, 'Good morning - I just killed my mother,' after she allegedly strangled her 86-year-old mother on Christmas Day. Stefania Glowka, 64, is on trial for the murder of Tamara Glowka, whom prosecutors say she killed with a belt in a 'very deliberate act of violence.'
Background of the Case
The court heard that Glowka had been the sole carer for her mother for 17 years and 'could no longer cope.' After the killing, she attempted to take her own life by stabbing herself in the stomach and neck with a scalpel, but her efforts failed. She was arrested for murder while being treated in an ambulance outside her home in Keepers Road, Devizes, Wiltshire.
Glowka has admitted manslaughter but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The prosecution argues that her actions were premeditated and deliberate, not the result of an uncontrollable act.
The 999 Call and Bodyworn Footage
In the audio played to the court, Glowka calmly instructs the operator on how to locate her upstairs flat, saying, 'It's difficult to find.' She adds, 'I tried to harm myself as well - I am very weak... please help me. I strangulated her... yes, strangled. I am a retired vet so I know for sure she's dead.' She then says, 'I was going to kill myself but I didn't succeed... I was at the end of my road.'
Bodyworn footage from police shows Glowka pressing gauze to her neck with a blank expression, asking, 'Is mum alive?' Paramedics attempted CPR on her mother but could not revive her. In the stairwell, Glowka tells paramedics, 'I killed my mother,' adding that she feels a 'failure' and 'would have preferred to die.' Later, in the ambulance, she is arrested on suspicion of murder and asks, 'Does this mean that my mother is dead?' A paramedic responds, 'She's gone, my lovely.'
Prosecution's Argument
Opening the case, prosecutor Simon Jones said there was 'no dispute' that Glowka unlawfully killed her mother. However, he argued that her guilty plea to manslaughter 'does not go far enough' and does not reflect her 'true level of responsibility.' He stated, 'The prosecution say that however desperate the situation was that the defendant felt she was in, there is no lawful justification for what she did.'
Details of the Killing
The court heard that Glowka waited for her mother to get out of bed to go to the toilet, with the belt prepared. She looped it around her mother's neck, causing her to fall to the floor, and then pushed her into the floor while pulling the belt tight. Prosecutors said Glowka acknowledged that her mother tried to grab the belt to stop herself from dying. After her mother fell limp, Glowka moved her to a 'nicer position' and folded the belt, placing it next to her to 'make life easier' for police.
Glowka later told police in an interview, 'I felt awful but felt our story would be over and thought it would be nice to die on the same day.' She then stabbed herself in the stomach, causing two superficial wounds, and jabbed her neck with a scalpel, creating a two-inch-deep cut, before lying down to die. When she realized she had not wounded herself sufficiently, she called police.
Letter to a Friend
The trial heard that Glowka directed officers to a folder of 'important' documents, including a letter dated 25th December 2025 addressed to 'My dearest Malla,' a close friend. The letter read: 'I killed my mum as I cannot continue to look after her and I love her too much to put her into an institutionalised care. I also cannot envisage life on my own, old age and inevitable health issues.' It also outlined how the state would benefit from her inheritance and her funeral wishes. Mr. Jones told the court this provided 'significant insight' into her thinking and plan.
Background and Mental State
A post-mortem concluded that the victim died from injuries consistent with neck compression. During police interview, Glowka said she was an only child to a single mother and that 'it was always just the two of us.' She moved to the UK from Poland in December 1994, studied small animal veterinary, and worked as a self-employed vet in Devizes. Her mother visited regularly from 1992 and moved permanently in 2004 when Poland joined the EU.
Mr. Jones added that Glowka said she 'just could not do so any longer' and described the decision to end it all as 'spur of the moment.' She felt the easiest way to 'let her go' was using a belt to strangle her and sharp objects to hurt herself. The prosecution urged the jury to convict her of murder, arguing that she was in full control of her actions. 'You may feel sympathy for the defendant. You may conclude that she was struggling, overwhelmed, depressed and unable to cope... But sympathy is not the test as to whether this was a murder,' Mr. Jones said. 'This was not an uncontrollable act carried out by someone deprived of meaningful judgment or self-control. It was a deliberate act.'
The trial continues.
