A son cried as he admitted stabbing his mother to death in her own home.
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he → cry → home
Adrian Hardy, 52, wiped tears from his eyes after he pleaded guilty to murdering his mother, Joan, 72, a retired dinner lady, at the home they shared this summer.
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they → wipe → home
Hardy, a former factory worker with a history of alcohol problems, was remanded in custody following his plea at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday.
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Hardy → remand → Tuesday
He will be sentenced in December.
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He → sentence → December
Mrs Hardy was found with stab wounds at the property she described as her 'sanctuary' in the village of Linton near Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, just after 2.30pm on Sunday, June 21.
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she → find → Sunday
She lived alone following the death of her husband Richard, an Army veteran, who died in 2023.
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who → live → 2023
He had served with the Staffordshire Regiment and friends said he bought their home from the council with his pension.
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he → serve → pension
Neighbours said Hardy was a 'trouble maker' and 'alcoholic' who had been living with his mother on and off but were shocked at what had happened.
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what → say → mother
Adrian Hardy, 52, admitted murdering his own mother Joan at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday
Joan Hardy, 72, was found with stab wounds at the property she described as her 'sanctuary' in the village of Linton near Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, just after 2.30pm on June 21
Mrs Hardy was described 'as a lovely woman' with a 'heart of gold'.
One neighbour said: 'She was a lovely lady, and we have heard all sorts of rumours about her death.
'We can't believe this has happened on our doorsteps.
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this → murder → doorsteps
She didn't deserve to die in this terrible way.
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She → deserve → way
Everyone in the street is shocked.'
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Everyone → shock → street
The woman added: 'She had been widowed a few years ago and led a very quiet life
'
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She → add → life
She loved her home and called it her sanctuary.'
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She → love → it
Another neighbour, who remembers her as his school dinner lady, said: 'It is just such shocking and sad news.
'
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It → remember → lady
I remember Joan as being my dinner lady at Linton Primary School and we lived in the same street.
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we → remember → street
I knew her quite well, and she was a good soul.
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she → know → her
In later years since losing her husband she didn't go out so much or socialise but the ladies living nearby would often drop in for a chat,'
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ladies → lose → chat
The man, who declined to be named, added: 'This is a peaceful and pleasant area to live in and you do not expect anything like this to happen.'
Hardy has previous convictions for driving without due care and attention, failing to stop and failing to provide a breath specimen.
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Hardy → decline → specimen
In 2015 he caused widespread disruption costing Network Rail more than £24,000 after walking through railway tunnels at New Street Station in Birmingham after drinking nine pints.
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he → cause → pints
Hardy had asked staff at the station the time of the next train before walking off the end of the platform towards the tunnels – bringing the rail system to a halt.
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Hardy → ask → halt
He was pursued by railway staff and police before being detained, telling officers he wanted to harm himself.
When questioned later he said he had drunk nine pints.
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he → pursue → pints
He also confessed he had only claimed to be suicidal to 'reduce the impact' of what he had done.
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he → confess → what
The incident caused a total of eight-and-a-half-hours delay to trains and the cost to Network Rail amounted to £24,366.
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cost → cause → 24,366
He was spared jail after pleading guilty at Birmingham Magistrates' Court to obstructing an engine.
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He → spar → engine
District Judge David Murray said the only thing that stopped Hardy from being sent to prison was that he was getting help for his alcohol problems.
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he → say → problems
Instead he was sentenced to a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £500 compensation.
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he → sentence → compensation
The Aporia
