Jonathan Keal found guilty of attempting to murder mother, father and grandmother after Salisbury Crown Court trial

A MAN has been found guilty of attempting to murder his mother, father and 90-year-old grandmother during a "frenzied" attack involving knives, dumb bells and a cricket bat.

The horrific late-night attack by Jonathan Keal (36), in September 2018, saw him plunge knives into Robert Keal, scissors into Lynda Keal and set upon Marjorie Blacker, who had heart disease and early onset dementia.

Rooms at the family's Dale House home, in Mayfield Road, Sandleheath, near Fordingbridge, were left in disarray and the furniture covered in blood, and during the attack Jonathan told his mother: "This isn’t me, it’s the devil," prosecutor Kerry Maylin said.

He had denied six charges: three of attempted murder and an alternative three of wounding each with the intent to cause them grievous bodily harm.

The defence agreed many of the facts surrounding the attack but claimed he was insane at the time of the incident; it meant the jury’s job was to determine whether he was sane or not and, if not, whether he knew what he was doing was wrong.

At the conclusion of his trial at Salisbury Crown Court on Tuesday afternoon, the jury deemed Keal guilty of the attempted murder of all three victims by a majority of 10-2 on each count.

The judge, the Honourable Mr Justice Garnham, refused to indicate whether he was considering a prison term or an indefinite hospital order as Keal’s punishment.

He ordered a psychiatrist report to be prepared on the defendant, whom he will sentence at Exeter Crown Court on 22nd July.

"This is an important decision I ought to make and I will want the report that’s prepared for the purpose of sentencing hearing to converse all possible options," the judge added.