Simon Carter, 50, killed his mother Gwyneth Carter at her home in Macclesfield after she told him his father had died. Carter had been estranged from his mother for 19 years and visited her unannounced on July 12, 2025, to ask about his father.
Gwyneth, 72, told Simon that his father had died two years earlier. He left after a 10-15 minute visit. Gwyneth later told her sister Janis that she was worried about Simon's behaviour, saying she wasn't sure if he had been on drink or drugs and that he wasn't behaving like her son.
Discovery and investigation
After Janis failed to get any response from Gwyneth over the next couple of days, she went to her house on July 18 and alerted a neighbour. Gwyneth was found dead at the scene with multiple injuries to the head and neck.
Simon was arrested on July 20, 2025, after "extremely strong forensic evidence placed him at the scene through his DNA and footwear". He had been living in Torquay at the time.
Court proceedings
At Chester Crown Court on Monday, Simon was given an indeterminate section 37 hospital order with a section 41 restriction under the Mental Health Act 1983. He had remained detained under the Mental Health Act since his arrest.
A plea of manslaughter by diminished responsibility was accepted after "strong medical evidence" showed he had undiagnosed mental health issues.
Family tribute
Gwyneth's family described her as a "strong lady with a laugh you could not forget". They said: "She was a hardworking, strong lady with a laugh you could not forget, she was well known years ago for playing darts for a local team, she was competitive and always up for a good time."
"She was stubborn, known for always standing her ground and protective of those she loved. In recent years she found comfort and companionship with her beloved dog, Oscar."
DI Simon Mills said the investigation was "long and complex" and over 4,000 hours of CCTV footage was recovered. He added: "Extremely strong forensic evidence placed him at the scene through his DNA and footwear – we held an extremely strong hand of evidence."
"It was sadly apparent through the enquiries that Carter had been behaving erratically and that he likely had undiagnosed mental health issues."
"Once arrested strong medical evidence showed that Carter did not have the required capacity at the time of the murder, hence why the plea of diminished responsibility manslaughter was accepted by the prosecution."
