St Austell mum Bernadette Rosario stabbed by Michael Rowe

A court heard that 36 year old Michael Rowe had made numerous threats to kill his mother Bernadette Rosario on various occasions before he attacked her one evening in March this year.

At Truro Crown Court Rowe denied murder but admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility - a plea that was accepted by the prosecution.

The court heard Rowe was a schizophrenic and abused illicit drugs which made his condition worse.

Bernadette Rosario was stabbed 100 times by her own son (Image: Family handout)

His 61-year-old mother, known as Bernie who was also a much loved grandmother, told police earlier that she felt 'torn apart between her own safety and her love and support for her son'.

Prosecutor Miss Jo Martin KC said on the day of the killing Rowe stole a knife from a store and walked several miles to his mother's home in Penwithick near St Austell, Cornwall.

In the minutes before the horrific attack, Bernie spoke to her long term partner Lorna Harvey in a phone call and in a WhatsApp message to her son Nathan.

In the porch at the back door Rose repeatedly stabbed his mother.

Home Office pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery carried out a post mortem and said Bernie suffered 60 stab wounds to her head and neck - many to her eyes.

She said there were over 40 stab wounds to her arms and hands, some through her hands, which were defensive injuries.

Her left arm was badly bruised where Rowe had gripped her during the attack and she died from blood loss.

Bernie's partner returned home minutes after Rowe left their home - and discovered Bernie and tried for 16 minutes to save her before paramedics arrived.

Blood stained Rowe was later arrested in nearby Par and he later told police that he admitted stealing the knife and stabbing his mother.

He said when his mother saw him she said:"Michael, I am dead."

Psychiatrists said Rowe was suffering from schizophrenia combined with illicit substance abuse which impaired his rational judgement.

The court heard victim personal statements from Lorna Harvey and family members.

Lorna Harvey said she and Bernie had been together as a couple for 20 years saying:"She was a good, good person. My world fell apart when she was killed by her own son. She never gave up on him."

She urged the judge to give Rowe the maximum possible sentence saying she was tortured by the flashbacks of what happened.

Bernie's daughter Lisa Marie said her mother suffered a 'horrific death' at the hands of her brother who Bernie called 'her little boy'.

The court heard Rowe had been sectioned in the past and had also been sent to jail, but despite his mother reaching out to him and paying off his drug debts, he repeatedly made threats to kill her.

Judge Simon Carr said Bernie was 'kind, funny, passionate and devoted to her partner, family, friends and animals'.

Michael Rowe stabbed his mother more than 100 times at her Cornish home (Image: Devon and Cornwall Police)

He said Bernie 'tried to give you the help you needed, even though you fought against such help' and her 'unfailing love for you'.

"She never gave up on you," and despite his verbal and physical attacks on her, 'she kept trying despite the risk to herself'.

Rowe had threatened her mum with knives in September 2021 but 18 months later he was not charged with anything and his bail was not renewed.

He had smashed his way through a glass door at their home and Bernie later told police she slept downstairs in case he came back and she had to make a quick getaway, but although she was scared of him she said she did not want to get him into trouble with the police.

And five days before he killed her, she took him to a probation office where he was abusive to staff and made threats to kill his mother.

Rowe was sentenced to a Section 37 hospital order and will remain in a secure psychiatric hospital until he no longer poses a risk of violence to others but was told that may never be reached.