The death of a woman stabbed by her own son was caused by failures to manage his mental health problems, a coroner has ruled.

An inquest at the Shepway Centre in Maidstone yesterday marked the end of four years of court hearings, which began when Jamie Burnett attacked mum Lesley Spearing at her home in Oast View Terrace, Rainham, on October 10, 2019.

Burnett, previously of Old Road, Chatham, was initially charged with murdering his 55-year-old mother, but Judge Charles Gratwicke ruled he wasn't fit to stand trial at Maidstone Crown Court in 2020, and a jury was asked to determine whether the then 29-year-old "commited the act", rather than to make a guilty or not guilty verdict.

Following the case, which heard Jamie had suffered from schizoaffective disorder and "delusional beliefs", the judge ordered that he be sent to a psychiatric hospital.

A formal inquest into Ms Spearing's death was launched last year, and today coroner Ian Brownhill brought matters to a conclusion, ruling that Ms Spearing died as the result of "unlawful killing".

He also added a narrative verdict which highlighted failures in the treatment of her son's mental health.

Outlining the background to the case,the coroner described how Ms Spearing had previously raised concerns about her son's mental health, and that he had been admitted to hospital after attacking her in 2016.

A treatment plan had been set up on his release but it had not been implemented effectively, while a care coordinator had "little contact" with Ms Spearing.

There had also been a lack of clarity as to who was the "responsible clinician" for Jamie, and his medication had been reduced at his own request, "despite the known risk of relapse".

The coroner recalled how on the day of the attack, Jamie's brother Stephen had been upstairs when he heard his mother scream, and rushed downstairs to find Jamie holding a knife, having stabbed his mother in the neck.

A scuffle ensued and he managed to disarm Jamie, while cousin Kiri, who had also been in the house, called 999.

They attempted CPR until ambulance crews arrived and took over, but there was nothing that could be done to save Ms Spearing, who had been stabbed in the neck.

The coroner gave a verdict of unlawful killing, followed by a narrative conclusion, stating Ms Spearing was killed by a "person known to her" with a history of mental health problems.

He said a community treatment order had not been carried out effectively, and that "the need to safeguard Lesley Spearing was not appreciated."

He said the failure to manage his treatment was "ultimately the causation of Lesley's death", adding: "It's clear that the state failed to properly manage the risk from Jamie Burnett's mental health and that failure was causative of her death."

At the time of her death, Ms Spearing's family paid tribute to her and said she was "the kindest, gentlest person you could ever meet".

They added: "She was a loving mum and a very much-loved sister, auntie and friend."

"She was utterly selfless and always put others before herself. She wanted others to be happy."