Brian Blackwell
Encyclopedia
Brian Blackwell is an English
murderer. He killed his parents - 72-year-old Brian and 61-year-old Jacqueline - at their home in Melling
, a village in the northern suburbs of Liverpool
, England
, on July 25, 2004. Medical experts have since diagnosed Blackwell as having narcissistic personality disorder
, which is characterised by extreme feelings of self-importance, a high need for admiration, and a lack of empathy
.
Blackwell was described as an "exemplary student" at Liverpool College and nicknamed "Brains" by his family. He created a web of lies about his life, including claiming he was a professional tennis
player. To support his claims of wealth, he applied for thirteen credit card
s in his father's name. He killed his parents after they became suspicious about his increasingly lavish lifestyle and began asking him questions about it. He beat both with a claw hammer
and stabbed them repeatedly. After the killings, he took his girlfriend Amal on holiday to New York
, USA, where he spent £30,000, including the bill for a three night stay in the presidential suite
at the Plaza Hotel
. A week later he returned to school and found that he had earned As in all of his A-levels, which would have gained him a place at the University of Nottingham
to study medicine
in October. However, the decomposing bodies of his parents were found in September. The attacks were so severe that investigators initially thought the couple had been shot.
During an interview, Blackwell claimed he knew nothing of his parents' deaths and was on holiday when they were murdered. After two days of questioning, Blackwell's story began to change. He confessed to the murders and claimed that he had acted in self-defence. According to Blackwell, he was holding a claw hammer for hanging a picture on the wall when his father stood up to hit him. Investigators had previously learned that Blackwell's father had been struck on the back of the head while sitting down, which conflicts with Blackwell's claim of self-defence. Afterwards, according to Blackwell, his mother came in, and he attacked her.
Blackwell was charged with murder
and was due to stand trial; however, that charge was dropped after he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter
on the ground of diminished responsibility
after experts diagnosed him to have narcissistic personality disorder. An episode of narcissistic rage
can occur when the narcissist is perceivably being prevented from accomplishing their grandiose
fantasies. Blackwell was sentenced to life imprisonment
on June 29, 2005. This was the first case in an English court where narcissistic personality disorder had been found to be a defence to murder.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
murderer. He killed his parents - 72-year-old Brian and 61-year-old Jacqueline - at their home in Melling
Melling, Merseyside
Melling is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 2,810....
, a village in the northern suburbs of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on July 25, 2004. Medical experts have since diagnosed Blackwell as having narcissistic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder is a personality disorder in which the individual is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity...
, which is characterised by extreme feelings of self-importance, a high need for admiration, and a lack of empathy
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
.
Blackwell was described as an "exemplary student" at Liverpool College and nicknamed "Brains" by his family. He created a web of lies about his life, including claiming he was a professional tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player. To support his claims of wealth, he applied for thirteen credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
s in his father's name. He killed his parents after they became suspicious about his increasingly lavish lifestyle and began asking him questions about it. He beat both with a claw hammer
Claw hammer
A claw hammer is a tool primarily used for pounding nails into, or extracting nails from, some other object. Generally, a claw hammer is associated with woodworking but is not limited to use with wood products...
and stabbed them repeatedly. After the killings, he took his girlfriend Amal on holiday to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA, where he spent £30,000, including the bill for a three night stay in the presidential suite
Presidential suite
Presidential suite and royal suite are common names for the most expensive suite in a luxury hotel.It gained its name during the Woodrow Wilson presidency because on each of his political trips away from Washington, he would insist on having a hotel room conform to specific requirements for his...
at the Plaza Hotel
Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark 20-story luxury hotel with a height of and length of that occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue extends along the east side of Grand Army Plaza...
. A week later he returned to school and found that he had earned As in all of his A-levels, which would have gained him a place at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
to study medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in October. However, the decomposing bodies of his parents were found in September. The attacks were so severe that investigators initially thought the couple had been shot.
During an interview, Blackwell claimed he knew nothing of his parents' deaths and was on holiday when they were murdered. After two days of questioning, Blackwell's story began to change. He confessed to the murders and claimed that he had acted in self-defence. According to Blackwell, he was holding a claw hammer for hanging a picture on the wall when his father stood up to hit him. Investigators had previously learned that Blackwell's father had been struck on the back of the head while sitting down, which conflicts with Blackwell's claim of self-defence. Afterwards, according to Blackwell, his mother came in, and he attacked her.
Blackwell was charged with murder
Murder in English law
Murder is an offence under the common law of England and Wales. It is considered the most serious form of homicide, in which one person kills another either intending to cause death or intending to cause serious injury .-Actus reus:The definition of the actus reus Murder is an offence under the...
and was due to stand trial; however, that charge was dropped after he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter
Manslaughter in English law
In the English law of homicide, manslaughter is a less serious offence than murder, the differential being between levels of fault based on the mens rea . In England and Wales, the usual practice is to prefer a charge of murder, with the judge or defence able to introduce manslaughter as an option...
on the ground of diminished responsibility
Diminished responsibility in English law
In English law, diminished responsibility is one of the partial defences that reduce the offence from murder to manslaughter if successful . This allows the judge sentencing discretion, e.g. to impose a hospital order under section 37 Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure treatment rather than...
after experts diagnosed him to have narcissistic personality disorder. An episode of narcissistic rage
Narcissistic rage
Narcissistic rage is a reaction to narcissistic injury, a perceived threat to a narcissist’s self-esteem or self-worth. Narcissistic rage is a term first coined by Heinz Kohut in 1972...
can occur when the narcissist is perceivably being prevented from accomplishing their grandiose
Grandiosity
Grandiosity is chiefly associated with narcissistic personality disorder, but also commonly features in manic or hypomanic episodes of bipolar disorder....
fantasies. Blackwell was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
on June 29, 2005. This was the first case in an English court where narcissistic personality disorder had been found to be a defence to murder.
See also
- Egomania (UK TV Documentary)Egomania (UK TV Documentary)"Egomania" was an episode of a 3-part documentary series on Channel 4 made by Firecracker Films about people who are diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder ....
featuring a reenactment of the Brian Blackwell murder. - Times article reporting the outcome of the trial
External links
- Killer Blackwell's fantasy life, BBC News, 29 June 2005.