Newham man jailed for 22 years for strangling mother

Richard Clayton has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years for the murder of his mother, Angela Clayton. The 45-year-old strangled her at their home in St George’s Square, Newham, on February 17. He was found to have withdrawn hundreds of pounds from his mother's bank account following her death and made eight calls to a sex line before reporting the incident to the police.

Exploiting vulnerability

Prosecutor Danny Robinson KC told the Old Bailey that Clayton, who was unemployed and relied on his mother for financial support, had moved in with her in May 2025. The victim's daughter, Louise, stated in a victim impact statement that her mother was a "devoted mother and loving wife" who had worked as a child minder for 30 years. Louise told the court that Clayton had returned to the family home under the guise of assisting with his mother's care but instead exploited her vulnerability for his own benefit.

Mrs Clayton had suffered a heart attack in December 2025 and was fitted with a pacemaker. The judge, Nigel Lickley KC, found that Clayton pawned some of his mother's belongings in January 2026 while she was hospitalised. Louise had noted unusual cash withdrawals from her mother's account on February 16, leading to a conversation with her mother and Richard Clayton that evening. Neither could account for the transactions, and Louise arranged to discuss them further the following day.

Calls and withdrawals

CCTV footage suggested Clayton may have been involved in drug deals in the hours leading up to and following his mother's death. He returned home at approximately 2:37 am on February 17, with Mrs Clayton's pacemaker data indicating her death occurred around 2:43 am. Mr Robinson stated that at 2:43 am, Clayton called a premium rate sex line. He made a further seven calls to the same service that day and withdrew £200 using his mother's bank card. He later made an eighth call to the sex line at 11:19 am before calling the police at 12:36 pm.

Clayton informed the emergency operator that he had "done something stupid" and killed his mother by strangling her, stating he had experienced a breakdown. Police found Mrs Clayton deceased on the bedroom floor, with a cable charger discovered near her neck. The cause of death was determined to be manual compression of the neck. The prosecution suggested there was a strong inference that Clayton killed his mother to continue using her bank card without impediment.

Judge's remarks

Judge Nigel Lickley KC remarked that Angela Clayton, described as an elderly lady of five feet four inches and weighing eight stone, would have realised she was dying and that her son was the one killing her. He stated that given her size and weight, she would have been unable to defend herself meaningfully. The judge described Clayton's actions as a "despicable and callous murder" of a "much-loved" individual. The defence asserted that Clayton had no memory of the event itself.

Louise told the court that her mother continually offered Richard Clayton love and support despite years of hardship inflicted by him. She stated that his life was defined by "lying, manipulating and stealing driven entirely by his own selfishness." She added that while he had the power to take her mother's physical life, he could not destroy the legacy of love she left behind. The judge noted Clayton had a history of drug use, having used cannabis since he was 14, and had previously been convicted of assaulting an emergency worker in 2023.

What happens next

Richard Clayton has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. He will serve this sentence in prison, with the parole board to consider his release after the minimum term has been served.