Dominic Whitton, 42, from Tottenham, has been convicted of murdering his 75-year-old mother, Pepita Garcia, an artist, and keeping her body in a makeshift shrine for weeks. Whitton subjected Ms Garcia to repeated beatings that left her with 76 fractures in the weeks before her death. She died curled up in the corner of her bedroom in early December 2024. After her death, Whitton painted her nails and transformed the room into a shrine, using candles and incense burners to mask the smell of decomposition. He did not report her death to the police until six weeks later, on January 13, 2025.
Details of the murder and cover-up
In the period between killing his mother and reporting her death, Whitton used her credit cards to visit pubs, purchase a ticket to Tina Turner the Musical, and book a tour of Tottenham Hotspur's stadium, according to The Telegraph. When he finally contacted a GP in January, he said in panic that his mother had died before Christmas. Whitton was convicted of murder and preventing the lawful and decent burial of her body following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court in May.
Sentencing and court statements
Whitton was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 24 years. Prosecutors told the court that Ms Garcia's body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, with around 67 fractures, including broken ribs and broken bones in her nose, neck, and shoulder. Whitton had previously been arrested for coercive control after Ms Garcia's friends raised concerns about his treatment of her. A police welfare check in September 2024 found Ms Garcia bruised with two black eyes, but she did not want her son to be prosecuted.
Victim described as vibrant and welcoming
Ms Garcia was described in court as a vibrant, welcoming woman who volunteered at her local food bank, was a Spanish dancer, and a member of a Buddhist group. Judge Andrew Menary KC told Whitton: "The last 10 weeks of Pepita's life must have been miserable. She was starved, weak, struggling to breathe and would have been in constant pain. She sustained increasingly ferocious assaults from you, the son she loved and protected. She died on the floor in a corner of her room, alone, without any words of comfort. It was a cruel death." The judge added: "You will have to live with the guilt that you killed the one person who always defended you and who loved you unconditionally: your mother."
