A 47-year-old man has been jailed for at least 19 years for stabbing his elderly mother to death with an ornamental sword, before placing her decapitated head in the freezer.

Angela Tarver was murdered by her son Philip Tarver in December last year.

Tarver had taken cocaine and drunk beer and vodka before attacking the 86-year-old. He had also been convicted of threatening to kill his 84-year-old Colin during the attack.

Before police arrived at the family home in Woking, Surrey, Tarver cut off his mother’s head and placed it in the freezer and put her severed ring finger inside a kettle, jurors heard.

Tarver – wearing a woman’s floral negligee – answered the front door waving a Union flag and holding a knife, telling officers: “I surrender, I surrender.”

A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for more than 12 hours to find him guilty of murdering his mother and threatening to kill his father.

The court had heard how Mrs Tarver had suffered a severe stroke in 1991 which affected her mobility and speech.

Tarver, a trained clock maker, had lived with his parents for most of his life and had relied on them for financial support as he pursued his love of songwriting and music.

On the morning of the killing, he behaved strangely, claiming alcohol was “poisoned” before unplugging the phone and computer.

When his father confronted him about why the television was also disconnected, the defendant slammed the door and told him to “go and die”, jurors heard.

Mr Tarver set about reconnecting the TV set in time for Bargain Hunt as Mrs Tarver sat in the kitchen having a cup of tea.

He heard a scream and found his wife on her back on the floor and his son holding a sword.