Ryan Grantham was sentenced to life in prison in 2021 after killing his mother.

A man who killed his mother and tried to burn her body has been jailed for life. Ryan Grantham, 21, used a kitchen knife to stab Sarah Grantham, 45, at their home in Swindon. He also slashed her throat and wrists before setting fire to her body on the patio of their house. He was found guilty of murder and arson with intent at Bristol Crown Court.

Grantham had denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The court heard he had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa.

Why did Ryan Grantham kill his mother?

Grantham’s defence barrister told the jury that he had suffered a “dissociative episode” during which he could not remember attacking his mother. But prosecutor Oliver Saxby QC said Grantham had planned the attack for weeks before stabbing Ms Grantham through the heart with a kitchen knife. Mr Saxby said: “He killed her because she made him do it.”