In a series of profoundly disturbing criminal cases that have shocked communities across England, several sons have been convicted of murdering their own parents in brutal, premeditated attacks. These chilling incidents reveal complex motivations ranging from financial disputes to deep-seated psychological issues, with each case resulting in life sentences for the perpetrators.
Peter McGarry: The Savage Bungalow Attack
Fifty-three-year-old Peter McGarry brutally beat his seventy-six-year-old disabled father, Malcolm, to death during what a judge described as "a savage attack" fueled by alcohol and drugs. The murder occurred in the early hours of December 1, 2023, at Malcolm's bungalow on Northfield Close in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
McGarry rained multiple punches upon his elderly father before using either his foot or a weapon to inflict fatal injuries. Shockingly, he later told police he believed the victim was "not me dad" but rather an intruder in the property. In a victim impact statement, Malcolm's partner of seventeen years expressed her inability to comprehend what could have driven McGarry to commit such violence.
Judge Stuart Rafferty KC sentenced McGarry to life imprisonment, specifying he must serve at least fourteen years and one hundred twenty-three days before becoming eligible for parole. The judge remarked on the almost unbelievable nature of the crime, stating the attack was both lethal and entirely avoidable.
John Sarawanskyj: The Deliberate Southport Assault
John Sarawanskyj left his father, Ivan, with dozens of injuries during what authorities characterized as a deliberate and sustained attack at their family home on Braemar Avenue in Southport during December 2024. Following the assault, Sarawanskyj visited a neighbour's property where he confessed to having "jumped all over his father's head."
When paramedics arrived at the scene, the fifty-two-year-old son callously declared, "I'm not bothered he's dead. He wasn't a nice man." The violence apparently stemmed from ongoing arguments about money and the death of Sarawanskyj's American bulldog, Zeus, approximately three months earlier. The defendant had developed a "desire for revenge" after becoming convinced his father had conspired with veterinarians to poison the animal.
Despite initially claiming he wasn't present during his father's death and suggesting either a third-party killer or a tragic fall, Sarawanskyj changed his story during a two-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court, asserting he had acted in self-defence. A jury unanimously rejected this account and convicted him of murder.
Aston Lambert: The Dumbbell Murder Over Money
Thirty-three-year-old Aston Lambert was found guilty of murdering his seventy-eight-year-old father, Alban Lambert, during a money-fuelled rage at their former shared flat on Longridge Road in Earls Court on March 17, 2024. Lambert had visited the property just before midday to demand cash from his "weak and vulnerable" father.
Alban allowed his son inside but subsequently telephoned his partner to report that Aston was demanding forty pounds. The call ended abruptly, and when neighbours heard loud noises emanating from the flat several hours later, one alerted emergency services. Police discovered Alban's body in the hallway with a ten-kilogram dumbbell lying beside his head.
CCTV evidence revealed Lambert had carried out a prolonged assault, with much of the violence occurring after his father had already become lifeless on the floor. Lambert initially claimed self-defence but was arrested and subsequently convicted based on the compelling visual evidence.
Nicholas Prosper: The Family Massacre and School Shooting Plot
Nineteen-year-old Nicholas Prosper, described by investigating officers as "truly evil," received three life sentences for murdering three family members and plotting a school shooting. The defendant, of Leabank Court in Luton, fraudulently obtained a shotgun using a fake firearms certificate before killing his mother, forty-eight-year-old Juliana Falcon, his sixteen-year-old brother Kyle, and his thirteen-year-old sister Giselle on Friday, September 13, 2024.
Prosper will serve a minimum of forty-nine years in prison for these crimes. An investigation by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit uncovered meticulous plans Prosper had developed to execute a shooting at his former primary school. Fascinated by mass shooting events and having consumed substantial violent online content, Prosper intended to kill more than thirty people to become what he envisioned as the world's most notorious school shooter.
His family's brave resistance during the attack alerted a neighbour who contacted police, preventing Prosper from carrying out his wider massacre plot. He was arrested after fleeing the scene when officers noticed him behaving suspiciously.
Robert Child: The Narcissistic Psychologist
Former sports psychologist Robert Child was jailed for life with a minimum thirty-year term in 2020 after admitting to murdering his sixty-four-year-old mother, Janice Child. The court heard he struck his victim more than thirty times on March 5, 2020, at her home on Kings Drive in Woolton before locking her bloodied body in a utility room.
Neighbours discovered Ms. Child's body in the early hours of the following day after being alerted by her distressed dog. Immediately after the killing, Child transferred twenty-five thousand pounds from his mother's bank account into his own, using the money to purchase a Jaguar vehicle the next day.
CCTV footage captured Child boarding a bus into Liverpool city centre following the murder, laughing and joking with the driver despite having just committed a horrifically violent crime. The "selfish narcissist" had fabricated an elaborate professional history, falsely claiming to hold a PhD and to have worked with prestigious clients including Manchester United, British Athletics, and Team GB.
During a 2023 Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, Child was ordered to repay over one hundred thousand pounds. Despite pleading guilty to murder, he attempted to reduce his sentence by claiming his crime wasn't financially motivated, instead alleging provocation due to his mother's political views, which he disparaged.
A Pattern of Familial Violence
These five cases represent particularly extreme examples of intra-familial violence, each involving sons who turned against their parents with lethal intent. The crimes share several disturbing characteristics:
- Brutal physical violence exceeding what would be necessary to cause death
- Complex motivations including financial gain, revenge, and psychological disturbance
- Attempts by perpetrators to justify or minimize their actions during legal proceedings
- Profound impact on extended families and local communities
- Resultant life sentences with substantial minimum terms before parole consideration
While each case possesses unique elements, together they form a troubling pattern of filial violence that continues to challenge both legal professionals and society's understanding of family dynamics gone tragically wrong.
