Brian Blackwell

Case overview

Brian Blackwell was an Englishman who killed his parents at their Merseyside home in July 2004. He killed Sydney Blackwell, 72, and Jacqueline Blackwell, 61. The bodies were found in September.

People involved

• Brian Blackwell — defendant
• Sydney Blackwell — father; victim (72-year-old)
• Jacqueline Blackwell — mother; victim (61-year-old)
• Amal Saba — Blackwell’s girlfriend
• David Steer QC — prosecuting
• Det Chf Insp Mike Keogh, of Merseyside Police — police officer providing a statement outside court
• Det Insp Geoff Williams, of Merseyside Police — police officer interviewed
• DI Williams — detective referenced regarding police interview and Blackwell’s conduct
• Mr Justice Royce — sentencing judge
• Margaret Smith — neighbour (73)
• Tommy Sheldon — neighbour (75); retired Royal Navy seaman
• Kerry Daynes — consultant forensic psychologist in Manchester
• Blackwell’s lawyer — read out a statement expressing remorse in court

Timeline

• July 2004 — Brian Blackwell killed Sydney Blackwell and Jacqueline Blackwell at their home in Melling, Merseyside
• July 2004 (after the murders) — Blackwell went on holiday to New York with Amal Saba and embarked on a spending spree
• September 2004 — the decomposed bodies of Sydney Blackwell and Jacqueline Blackwell were found; Blackwell was arrested at the home of Amal Saba’s girlfriend in Childwall, Liverpool
• September 2004 (before trial) — Blackwell was charged with murder; the murder charge was dropped after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the ground of diminished responsibility
• June 29, 2005 — Blackwell was sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to double manslaughter with diminished responsibility

The offence

Brian Blackwell killed his parents at their home in Melling, Merseyside. Sydney Blackwell had been beaten with a claw hammer and Jacqueline Blackwell had been stabbed repeatedly. The extent of injuries led police initially to think the parents may have been shot.

During police interviews, Blackwell described an incident in which he had been hanging pictures in his bedroom and had a hammer. He said that his mother and father had been out having an evening meal and had returned home, and that after a few drinks there was an argument between him and his father that resulted in a fracas between them in the living room. Blackwell told detectives that he attacked his father and later his mother came in, after which he attacked her.

According to police knowledge of injuries, Sydney Blackwell had been struck on the back of the head while sitting down, which conflicted with Blackwell’s self-defence claim.

The court heard that the killings took place on 25 July 2004, the day before Blackwell was due to fly to the US with Amal Saba for a holiday.

Investigation and medical assessment

Medical experts diagnosed that Brian Blackwell suffered from Narcissistic personality disorder. The disorder was described as being characterised by extreme feelings of self-importance, a high need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. Experts described it as producing an obsession with fantasy views of unlimited success, power, brilliance and ideal love and beauty, and as leading sufferers to fly into a rage if their fantasy world was challenged or threatened. Psychiatrists agreed unanimously that Blackwell had narcissistic personality disorder.

David Steer QC told the court that sufferers of narcissistic personality disorder typically flew into a rage if their fantasy world was challenged or threatened. He also told the court that there was nothing to indicate that Blackwell had premeditated the killings and that the killings could have been linked to the trip he was planning with his girlfriend. Mr Steer said that Blackwell’s rage may have been prompted by his parents discovering his travel plans and thwarting them. He described Blackwell as “a highly abnormal young man.” He also said that the diagnosis was very rarely used for someone as young as Brian Blackwell.

Kerry Daynes, a consultant forensic psychologist in Manchester, said:

"Many psychopaths have narcissistic traits and you most often see NPD when treating psychopaths."

Arrest and police questioning

Police discovered the decomposed bodies of Sydney Blackwell and Jacqueline Blackwell in September 2004 after a neighbour called at the bungalow and reported an unusual smell. When police broke down the door, there was so much blood on the walls that at first they suspected the couple had been shot.

Blackwell was arrested at the home of Amal Saba’s girlfriend’s parents in Childwall, Liverpool. Police discovered the rubber grip of a hammer and the handle of a knife in his sports bag. In police interviews, Blackwell initially said he had been unable to enter his home and believed his parents were away on holiday.

The narrative of Blackwell’s account changed after two days of questioning. He confessed to the murders and claimed that he had acted in self-defence. The police report and interview narrative also included that he initially denied the murders and that he believed himself capable of outsmarting the charge. DI Williams said:

"He was growing in confidence with the police; he felt that perhaps he could outwit us in the long term."

Det Insp Geoff Williams of Merseyside Police described not knowing the sequence of events that enraged Blackwell and left him in a position when he felt he had to kill his parents, and he said:

"Whether it was for a financial reason at this point is pure speculation."

Trial and plea

Blackwell was charged with murder and was due to stand trial. The murder charge was dropped after he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on the ground of diminished responsibility following expert diagnosis of Narcissistic personality disorder.

Blackwell pleaded guilty to double manslaughter. The court was told the post-mortem examination revealed that his parents had been killed at their home some time in July 2004.

In the dock at Liverpool Crown Court, Blackwell wept. His lawyer read out a statement in which Blackwell expressed remorse and said he missed his parents “more than anything in the world.” The statement also included the line:

"The guilt will punish and haunt me for 24 hours a day for the rest of my life."

After pleading guilty, Blackwell was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 29, 2005.

Sentencing

Mr Justice Royce sentenced Brian Blackwell to life imprisonment. In sentencing remarks, he said that Blackwell had shown “breathtaking callousness” in his “chilling” crime. He said he had taken into account that Blackwell’s condition was untreatable and likely to continue throughout his life.

Outside the court, Det Chf Insp Mike Keogh of Merseyside Police said:

"This has been a very tragic case involving the death of a mother and father, leaving the remaining family shattered,"
"Throughout this investigation we have found almost overwhelming evidence of two caring parents who doted on their son Brian and had ambitions only for him to fulfil his undoubted potential."

Aftermath

Amal Saba attended the sentencing. She declined to discuss the case but released a statement describing her “enormous shock” at discovering what her former boyfriend had done.

Background

Brian Blackwell was described as an “exemplary student.” He was nicknamed “The Brains” by school friends. He created a web of lies about his life, including claiming he was a professional tennis player. He funded his fantasies by applying for thirteen credit cards in his father’s name.

He had studied A-Levels at Liverpool College. He was weeks away from starting a degree in medicine at the University of Nottingham. After returning home on 12 August 2004 and later learning of his results, he had earned A grades in his A-levels including maths, chemistry, biology and Spanish.

Blackwell attended Scarisbrick Hall and later moved in 1998 to Liverpool College in Aigburth. During his final year, he began dating Amal Saba, the 18-year-old daughter of a respected medical family. Both applied to read medicine at Nottingham University.

Neighbour accounts described Blackwell as a “lovely, quiet lad.” Margaret Smith, 73, described him as:

"lovely, quiet lad"

Tommy Sheldon, 75, said:

"They were a nice family, very private. Brian was very clever, he would play tennis at the local club and study hard. His mother was inclined to be strict with him."

Spending spree and relationship details

After the murders, Blackwell went on holiday to the US with Amal Saba. The trip included spending and a three night stay in the Presidential Suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York. He embarked on a £30,000 spending spree, including spending £3,900 for a three night stay at the Plaza.

The narrative also described that Blackwell’s spending included an excess of £2,200 per night for the three-night stay in the Presidential Suite of the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Blackwell allegedly told Amal Saba that money came from tennis sponsorship and claimed he was a professional tennis player. He also claimed to have received £70,000 sponsorship from Nike. He claimed he had a place in the French Open, and that he was Britain’s No1 ranked junior tennis player. He said he had been a professional tennis player and presented a sponsorship claim to support his lifestyle.

Blackwell also used his father’s credit cards after the murders and before the killings. During his time around the period leading up to the killing, he had booked flights and travel using Sydney Blackwell’s credit card details. The narrative described:

• April 2004: He wrote out a £39,000 cheque to his girlfriend despite having only 9p in his bank account
• Early May 2004: He cashed in a £9,000 bond his parents invested to buy his girlfriend a car
• 13 May 2004: Blackwell tried to open a bank account claiming he was a professional tennis player earning £45,000-a-year and about to play in the French Open
• Late June 2004: Blackwell’s mother called at a local bank to say she was concerned about her son’s behaviour
• July 25 (the day of the killing): He booked a 1st class business flight from Manchester to New York using his father’s credit card again
• 26 July: Blackwell paid £3,900 for a three night stay at the Plaza in New York
• Between 26 July and 12 August: Blackwell spent £30,000 during a two week trip around the US and Barbados

Blackwell returned home and stayed with Amal Saba’s family, claiming he was locked out of his house because his parents were on holiday. This stay and the explanation were linked to his parents’ bodies being undiscovered until September.

Charges and legal progression

Blackwell was initially charged with murder. The murder charge was dropped when prosecutors accepted manslaughter pleas on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter with diminished responsibility after experts diagnosed Narcissistic personality disorder.

The court heard that the case was the first in an English court where narcissistic personality disorder had been found to be a defence to murder.

Family details and victims’ circumstances

The victims were Sydney Blackwell, 72, and Jacqueline Blackwell, 61. They lived at their £350,000 bungalow in the village of Melling, Merseyside. The narrative described their ambitions for their son to fulfil his potential and become “not just a doctor - a surgeon.”