Daughter on trial for strangling mother on Christmas Day in Devizes

Stefania Glowka, 64, denies murdering her 86-year-old mother in Wiltshire but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Prosecution argues the charge does not reflect her true responsibility.

Devizes carer denies Christmas Day murder of elderly mother

Stefania Glowka, 64, strangled her 86-year-old mother on Christmas Day before attempting to take her own life, Bristol Crown Court has been told, according to bbc.co.uk.

Glowka has denied murdering Tamara Glowka at the family home on Keepers Road in Devizes, Wiltshire, though she entered a guilty plea to manslaughter. The prosecution rejected that position. "That guilty plea entered to manslaughter does not go far enough," said Simon Jones, prosecuting. "It does not properly reflect the defendant's true level of responsibility for what she did."

The court heard that Glowka, who had been diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder, had served as her mother's primary carer. She had never married or had children of her own, and told police she had been the sole carer for Tamara over a period of 17 years. In that time, Tamara's mental and physical health had declined significantly; she had recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

On Christmas Eve, Glowka prepared her mother's favourite meal and spent what was described as a "nice evening" together before both went to bed. In the early hours of Christmas Day 2025, Glowka used a belt to strangle her mother as Tamara rose from her bed to use the bathroom. She later told police it had been a "spur of the moment" decision.

Jones disputed that account. He told the court he considered the act deliberate, pointing to what he described as carefully planned actions and steps Glowka had taken afterwards to put her affairs in order. "We say those planned actions, very carefully planned actions, together with the careful means by which the defendant sought to put her affairs in order, after the event, show… this defendant was fully capable of understanding what she was doing," he said.

After killing her mother, Glowka lay beside her and attempted to take her own life. She briefly lost consciousness but later awoke and telephoned police to explain what had happened. When officers arrived at the property, she directed them to a box containing a letter addressed to a friend. In the letter, she had written: "I killed my mum as I cannot continue to look after her, and I love her too much to put her into an institutionalised care. I also cannot envisage life on my own, old age and inevitable health issues."

Glowka had described herself to police as having "reached the end of my road." Two psychiatrists who assessed her both concluded she was suffering from recurrent depressive disorder at the time of the killing, the jury was told.

The trial continues.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)