Man who stabbed Scots mum to death in Australian home while high on drugs jailed for life

A man in Australia has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his Scottish mother, who he stabbed to death while under the influence of drugs. Carol Ann Cameron, a 63-year-old cancer care nurse originally from West Lothian, was killed by her son, Callum Cameron, in Perth in August 2020. The tragic incident occurred after Carol had called paramedics over concerns that her son had overdosed on drugs, specifically the plant-based psychedelic drug DMT.

During the trial at the Supreme Court of Western Australia, Callum Cameron admitted to manslaughter but denied intending to murder his mother. He claimed to have been in a delirious state due to the effects of the drugs at the time of the attack. However, Judge Justice Joseph McGrath determined that Cameron was aware of his actions and found him guilty of murder. As a result, Cameron has been given a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 20 years, with his sentence backdated to when he was initially taken into custody.

The court heard that an argument between mother and son escalated when paramedics arrived at the property, and Cameron refused to accompany them to the hospital. He proceeded to attack his mother with a knife in the kitchen, inflicting 62 stab wounds to various parts of her body. Despite her pleas for him to stop, Cameron continued the brutal assault until Carol Ann Cameron succumbed to her injuries. The judge’s 56-page judgment stated that the sustained and severe nature of the attack indicated a deliberate intention to cause death.

Although Cameron’s legal team argued that his drug use impaired his ability to form intent, Justice McGrath concluded that Cameron was capable of forming intent and acted purposefully in committing the murder. Following the tragic incident, Carol Ann Cameron’s family released a statement expressing their devastation over the loss of their beloved mother, partner, sister, auntie, and friend, who had dedicated her career to cancer care.

In conclusion, this heartbreaking case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of drug use and highlights the importance of seeking help for substance abuse issues before they escalate to such tragic outcomes. It also underscores the need for rigorous evaluation of the role of drugs in criminal cases and the complexities involved in determining intent and culpability in such circumstances.