Man jailed for grandmother's murder

A drug addict was jailed for at least 22 years today for a brutal and frenzied attack which killed his kindly grandmother.

Jack Langlands, 27, stabbed 83-year-old Doris Langlands repeatedly in the head and kicked her when she fell to the ground in the home where she had lived for 51 years.

Over the years, she had given him a home and let him scrounge £30,000 from her for cocaine and drink, the Old Bailey heard.

He was found guilty of murder by a jury who rejected his claim that the drugs had driven him mad.

He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years.

Mrs Langlands, who was known as Dot, was found in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of her house in Green Dragon Lane, Winchmore Hill, north London, in April, last year.

The court heard Langlands had been living in Florida with his parents but fled back to Britain after attacking his wife.

Mrs Langlands gave her grandson a home while other members of the family in the UK were unwilling to have him because of his cocaine use.

But they had no idea of his abusive behaviour towards the frail, grey-haired widow.

Langland's brother took him to a local mental health unit but he left before doctors could diagnose the paranoid psychosis which had developed due to his drug abuse.

Judge Paul Worsley told Langlands that despite the degree of mental psychosis, he had still had the presence of mind to take money, go on the run and lie.

He said: "This is a tragic case. You have torn your family apart by killing your own grandmother.

"She was a gentle, loving lady. You sponged off her. I am satisfied it was in drink, cocaine and anger that you killed her.

"It was a sustained, frenzied and brutal attack. You took from her her few remaining years.

"I have detected no hint of remorse for what you did."

Langland's uncle Jeffrey Langlands said his mother was loved by her friends and neighbours.

"Everyone in the community was shocked by the way she died," he said.

"She was loving and caring. No one in the family knew what she was going through. She was too proud to tell us what was going on.

"We will all be haunted by this for the rest of our lives."