Inquest hears mother and son, Mayawati and Julian Bracken from Pangbourne, died by unlawful killing and suicide
THE reason a teenager stabbed his mother to death before taking his own life in front of a high-speed train may forever remain a mystery.
The only possible clue to the double tragedy was offered by a paramedic who attended the family home days before, following a row over Christmas dinner.
South Central Ambulance Service paramedic Chris Dinsey attended the Bracken family home in Pangbourne where 18-year-old Julian was having a panic attack.
Mr Dinsey noticed an “overwhelming dynamic” from the matriarch, Mayawati Bracken.
In a statement read at an inquest into the death of mother and son, held at Reading Town Hall on Tuesday, December 3, Mr Dinsey said he noticed Mrs Bracken appeared “overly affectionate” towards her son.
The hearing was told 18-year-old Julian had been due to return to his school, the prestigious Radley College in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, on January 4 this year.
Mother and son set off from the family home in Flowers Hill, Pangbourne, after 5pm on January 4 – but within minutes, villagers saw the car rolling down the hill and across a junction with Tidmarsh Road, cutting up oncoming traffic.
In the driver’s seat was Mrs Bracken, dying from a stab wound to the chest.
Passers-by attempted resuscitation until an air ambulance and medics arrived.
But it was hopeless and 56-year-old Mrs Bracken was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meanwhile her son had made his way to Pangbourne rail station, where he stood in front of a high-speed train with fatal results.
A knife, taken from a set at the family home, was later found discarded nearby, with Mrs Bracken’s blood on it.
Post mortem tests determined Mrs Bracken died from blood loss and shock from a chest wound, while her son died from multiple injuries.
Toxicology tests showed no evidence of illegal drugs or alcohol in either case.
Neither did Julian have any history of criminal tendencies nor mental health issues, the inquest heard.
The only potential clue came from Mr Dinsey, who had attended the family home on Christmas Day last year after Julian suffered an apparent panic attack.
Mr Dinsey said in a statement he was trying to calm Julian when Mrs Bracken entered the kitchen and said she needed to get round him to kiss her son.
He added: “She was being overly affectionate… there was an overwhelming dynamic from her.”
When he asked one of Julian’s siblings what had triggered the panic attack, she replied: “Just family stuff,” said Mr Dinsey.
There had apparently been a row over the contents of a Christmas dinner, the inquest heard.
Julian then said: “You know – f****** Mum.”
Mr Dinsey said he had managed to calm Julian but his mother’s appearance in the kitchen appeared to trigger him and “took us back to square one” and he felt there was “built-up anger” there.
He added: “His reaction didn’t build up – it just went straight to the top level.”
The only other clue came from one of Julian’s siblings who said she had tried to put some parting gifts in his rucksack before he left for college – but noticed he was reluctant to give her access to it.
With hindsight, the inquest heard, police had wondered whether he already had a knife in the rucksack.
The inquest heard police spoke to college friends of Julian but all described him as happy, normal, and keen on games like other teens his age.
Mrs Connor said: “The events of January 4 this year are tragic but clear.
“It would appear Mrs Bracken intended to take Julian back to college in the early evening.
“Early on in that journey, it appears Julian used a knife from the family home to stab his mother, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle.
“It moved slowly down to the road and came to a stop.”
Mrs Connor concluded that when Julian had placed himself in front of a high-speed train at Pangbourne station, he had done so intending to end his life and died by “suicide”.
She noted that police had said Julian would have been investigated for murder or manslaughter had he lived and concluded Mrs Bracken’s death was an unlawful killing.
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