A MAN who attempted to murder his ‘devoted’ mother while she cooked him dinner continued to protest his innocence as a judge jailed him for 18 years.

As Judge Zoe Smith sentenced Steven Williams for plunging a knife into his 72-year-old mother’s throat, the 44-year-old cried out from the dock ‘not guilty your honour, not guilty.’

Ignoring his outbursts, Judge Smith told Oxford Crown Court yesterday that the ‘murderous attack’ on April 25 had caused severe psychological harm to his mother, Daphne Williams.

She said: “You tried to strangle your mother and when that failed you stabbed her.

“She tried to defend herself but you wanted her dead.”

The court was told that after Williams suffered a life-changing road traffic accident in 2006, his mother would cook him meals and look after his benefits to ensure his bills were paid.

Judge Smith added:”She would give you a sum of money in cash each week, the problem was you kept wanting more and more.

“On the afternoon you had gone to your mother’s for your evening meal and to get some money from her.”

Mrs Williams had shown her son a letter from the housing association with a demand for an extra weeks rent to be paid and told him she would not be able to give him extra cash.

Judge Smith said: “You went into a rage and she left the room and went into the kitchen and you followed her and made the murderous assault on her.”

After stabbing his mother six times during the attack, Williams left her in a pool of blood and fled to a nearby Costcutter to buy sweets.

The widow prayed as she bled in her home and prised the blade from her body before calling emergency services for help.

Judge Smith added: “Following this incident she had to undergo an eight hour operation.

“The court finds she was suffering serious psychological harm, you were her son and she had devoted herself to your care following your accident.”

Daren Samat, defending, said Mr Williams would use his time behind bars productively by studying a degree in Theology.

He said: “He hopes this will be something good to come out of all this.

“With his disabilities he will likely remain an extremely vulnerable prisoner.”

Williams, 44, of Hailey Road, Chipping Norton, was jailed for 18 years and handed a restraining order to prevent him contacting his mother until further notice.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.