A Peterborough man who stabbed his own mother to death as she watched TV has been jailed for life.

Gregory Coulson 31, stabbed Carmen Coulson, 67, to death at the property in Lingwood Park, Longthorpe in February 2025.

Cambridgeshire Police said Coulson said he got a steak knife from the kitchen and stabbed his mother to death at about 10pm on February 9 last year.

On Thursday (June 4) Coulson appeared at Huntingdon Crown Court, where he was given a life sentence by Judge David Farrell KC – and told he would have to serve a minimum of 26 years before he is eligible for parole.

He was found guilty of murder after a trial earlier this year.

He had made confessions to police as he called 999, and in interview – but Coulson denied murder and, at trial, claimed intruders had broken into the property and killed his mother.

However, the jury rejected this account and in March unanimously found him guilty of murder.

Following her death, Carmen’s family released a statement paying tribute to her, which read: “We are deeply saddened at the loss of Carmen, our mother, sibling, friend and colleague.”

Detective Inspector Mark Dollard said: “We may never know exactly why Coulson carried out this brutal attack on his own mother but there was evidence of repeated and heavy cocaine and alcohol consumption by him over the three months leading up to the murder.

“Carmen’s death is a tragedy for the rest of her family, who showed dignity throughout the trial, and my thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time."

The court heard that on his arrest and while waiting to be booked into custody, Coulson asked officers, “how many years do you get for murder these days?”

When interviewed by detectives, he was asked if he was responsible for the murder and he said “yes”.

He said on the night in question he’d been in his room listening to music, painting, and drinking vodka.

He told officers: “I feel like I've just had enough with it because I just got these feelings that I've had enough, and I have to do something about it. If I'm honest this is totally out of my character, I've not been happy for a while.”