Gorton man jailed for murdering his mother

A 34-year-old man has been jailed for life for murdering his mother at their home in Gorton, Greater Manchester in July last year.

Mark See set fire to 63-year-old Sandra See at the bungalow they shared on Darras Road in Gorton in the early hours of 13 July 2021.

After Sandra declined the offer to drink whiskey with him, then refused to give him money to buy more alcohol, he threw a carton of lawn mower petrol at her as she sat on the sofa. He lit the fuel with a cigarette lighter before driving away from the house in his van at 2.20am.

His partner heard the whoosh of the petrol setting alight and fled the house to call for help. The fire service arrived five minutes later and found the fire had spread through the ground floor.

Sandra's remains were found on the living room floor. The extent of her injuries meant she was beyond recognition and she was identified from metal plate on her thigh bone.

Police officers found Mark See in the foetal position in a churchyard on Sunbank Lane, close to Manchester airport three-and-a-half hours later. He had burns on his arms and feet.

He was given a life sentence and must serve a minimum term of 21 years.

Anthony Stanway for the CPS said: "Marks See's unbalanced reaction to a petty argument was to set fire to his own mother in this most horrific of cases.

"He denied he intended to kill her and that he only threw the petrol and had a lighter in his hand to shock her following their argument.

"However we presented evidence to the jury which discounted his version of events and the jury agreed with the prosecution case that he did in fact intend to kill his mother or at the very least he intended cause her really serious harm when they found him guilty of murder.

"While nothing can bring Sandra See back, I hope this sentence provides some sense of justice to her family and friends.  Our thoughts remain very much with them at this time."