A former British soldier who admitted killing his mother has been detained in hospital indefinitely.

Criston Preddie, 29, of Tennyson Close, Enfield, repeatedly stabbed Arlene Williams, 46, in the neck, chest and stomach on September 28 last year.

The Old Bailey heard he had used such severe force that the tip of the blade was embedded in Ms Williams’ neck.

Afterwards, Preddie called 999 and said he had just killed his mother, the court heard.

When officers arrived at the home in Enfield, he appeared calm and said he regretted what he had done.

The defendant claimed he had served with the Royal Engineers in Germany and Afghanistan where he had killed 100 people.

He also claimed that he had stabbed his mother to stop her from poisoning him.

But investigations revealed that Preddie had never been stationed in Afghanistan and there was no evidence that he was poisoned.

The court heard that the defendant was a heavy drinker and smoked cannabis.

Earlier this year, Preddie pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

The court heard that psychiatrists identified he was suffering from paranoid and persecutory delusions at the time of the killing.

On Friday, Judge Anthony Leonard QC handed him a hospital order without limit of time.