Paul Thomas Armon has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 15 years for the brutal murder of his 78-year-old mother, Jennifer Phyllis Sheehan, in her Blenheim home last November.
The 55-year-old cleaner admitted to striking his mother twice with a crowbar before fatally stabbing her in the chest with a carving knife.
The attack followed a heated argument over Armon’s past relationships and lifestyle.
After the killing, he moved her body to the bathroom, attempted to clean the scene, and turned himself in to police three days later, confessing to the crime.
Detective Sergeant Ashley Clarke of Marlborough CIB acknowledged the court’s sentence and extended sympathies to Mrs Sheehan’s family, who have requested privacy.
Clarke thanked both the investigation team and the public for their assistance during the case.
While describing the murder as a cold-blooded and violent act, the court heard that the attack was not premeditated but the result of Armon “snapping” during a confrontation.
