Plymouth man jailed for his mother’s murder
A 33-year-old man from Plymouth has today, Tuesday 6 August, been sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 12 years in jail for murder.
Callum Thomas was convicted of killing his mother, 58-year-old Debra Cantrell, after he had pleaded not guilty to murder at Plymouth Crown Court.
At the trial, which concluded on Monday 8 July, the jury found him guilty of murder by a majority verdict, after a guilty plea to manslaughter by diminished responsibility was not accepted at an earlier hearing.
Thomas was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 12 years, less time already served in custody, which takes it to 10 years and 297 days. Only after this time would he be considered for parole and that would be under licence for the rest of his life.
The court heard that police were contacted in the early hours of Wednesday 31 May by a member of the public from North Carolina, in the United States of America, who was reporting a concern for welfare, having received a call from the defendant on Monday 8 May 2023.
When a mutual, online gaming friend could not get hold of Thomas later in the month, the caller raised his concerns with police.
As a result of the information received, officers attended an address on Colwill Road, Plymouth, at around 9am on Wednesday 31 May, where they found the body of Ms Cantrell in an advanced state of decomposition.
Enquiries were made to locate Thomas and he was found in Yelverton and arrested on suspicion of murder at around 1.20pm the same day.
A forensic post-mortem examination established that Ms Cantrell had died as a result of a stab wound to the chest.
It is believed she died on Sunday 7 May 2023.
It was reported that there was an extensive history of domestic violence between the defendant and his mother, going back more than 10 years and, during that time, Thomas had threatened to kill his mother on several occasions.
The jury found him guilty of murder and His Honour Judge Peter Johnson sentenced him to life, to serve a minimum of 12 years less time already served. He had been remanded in custody since his arrest.
The judge acknowledged that Thomas had problems with his mental health and that there was no suggestion that he had planned to kill his mother.
But he also said that the relationship between Thomas and his mother had been “tempestuous and volatile” and that he had been violent towards her in the past.
A spokesperson for the family said: “Debs will be missed by family and friends.
“We would like to thank the police and other agencies for the support we have received over the past 13 months.”
Detective Inspector Neil Blanchard said: “I would like to thank the jury for carefully considering the evidence and reaching their decision in this trial.
“This has been a complex investigation and I would like to thank all those who have been involved and provided their expertise to allow us to prosecute this case, including our colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service
“Debra’s family and friends have had to endure a tragic loss and I hope that this verdict and sentence brings them some measure of closure and are now able to go on with their lives.”
“My thoughts, and those of the entire investigation team, are with them at this time.”
If you have been affected by crime, please visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.
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