Man 'tried to decapitate mother-in-law with meat cleaver

27-year-old denies attempted murder charge

A MASKED man tried to decapitate his mother-in-law in the street with a meat cleaver, a court heard.

The 50-year-old victim escaped with her life but was almost scalped, sustaining a fractured skull in the frenzied onslaught on October 31 last year.

She later needed 50 staples to reattach her skin to her skull.

The crown claims her attacker, Luke Mackrory, of Lockside Court, Mallard Way, Aldermaston, later taunted his victim Nicola Murnane over the Hallowe’en assault, texting: “Trick or treat – smell the blood. Tastes good, right? Hahaha. Still out here – thinking of finishing you off. Hee hee.”

Ms Murnane later said: “It was his eyes... evil eyes, almost black... his face was the face of the Devil incarnate.”

Mr Mackrory, 27, denies attempted murder and an alternative charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Ian Hope, opening the prosecution case at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, said Mr Mackrory had been in a relationship with Ms Murnane’s daughter, Victoria Murnane-Bell, but the pair had split up.

He told jurors that he would nevertheless refer to Ms Murnane as the defendant’s mother-in-law.

He said Mr Mackrory had previously suffered a mental breakdown and his new partner was concerned because he was back on drugs.

Mr Hope added: “He got it into his head that his mother-in-law was a paedophile.”

On the day in question, the court heard, Mr Mackrory confronted Ms Murnane in the street near her home in Caversham, Reading, wearing a mask that covered all but his eyes, and wielding a meat cleaver.

He said Mr Mackrory began raining blows to her head and neck with the cleaver while screaming he was going to kill her.

Mr Hope added: “She [Ms Murnane] says he was trying to decapitate her.”

The court heard Mr Mackrory had been smoking crack cocaine hours before the incident.

He fled when members of the public intervened and Ms Murnane was taken to hospital with severe injuries.

Mr Hope said the blade had narrowly missed vital arteries in the neck.

The jury was shown a video message police allowed Mr Mackrory to record while in custody.

In it, he faces the camera and says: “Hey people, been a long time in the making, hasn’t it? It is what it is.”

He then blew a raspberry before continuing: “She had to be dealt with.”

Mr Hope said: “He has shown absolutely no remorse at all.

“There’s absolutely no empathy for a fellow human being being injured in this way.

“He was trying to kill her; he was trying to take her life – he was trying to decapitate her.”

The jury was shown a video interview with Ms Murnane, her head heavily swathed in bandages.

She sobbed as she spoke of always having got on well with the defendant and said: “He said: ‘I’m going to kill you’ and started hitting me with a meat cleaver. I fell to the floor; he was holding my hair.

“It was his eyes... evil eyes. Devil’s eyes... almost black. I can’t explain it. His face was the face of the Devil incarnate.

“He was trying to cut my head off.”

Mr Mackrory was later arrested, holding a bag which contained various weapons including an axe, the court heard.

The trial continues - for more, pick up a copy of next week's Newbury Weekly News.