Philip Tarver

Philip Tarver, a violent male transvestite, was convicted at the Old Bailey in London in October 2020 of the murder of his 86-year-old disabled mother, Angela Tarver and of threatening to kill his 83-year-old father, Colin Tarver.

Tarver was sentenced to life in prison on 8 October 2020 and told he would serve a minimum of 19 years. For the threats to kill his father, he was jailed for 18 months to run concurrently.

Tarver, 47, was reportedly wearing a ‘see-through negligee’ when he stabbed Mrs Tarver in the the heart before decapitating her and placing her head in the freezer at his parents’ home in Surrey in December 2019. He also sliced off the finger on which his mother wore her wedding and maternity rings and put it in the kettle.

The GetSurrey website reports that on the witness stand, Tarver clarified that he was a heterosexual man who “quite regularly” wore women’s clothes. He also told police he had struggled with his sexuality since he was five. Despite saying at the scene that he had put his mother ‘out of her misery’ – as if he had the right to decide whether she lived or died – he then tried to blame his father in court, alleging Mr Tarver had attempted to frame him for the crime. Court News reported that Tarver also claimed that his father was ‘poisoning’ him after learning he wanted to change gender.

Tarver had a history of cocaine and cannabis use, but psychiatric assessment revealed he was responsible for his actions. Tarver was initially committed to a mental health hospital where he remained until March, 2020 when he was deemed fit to be interviewed by police.

Colin Tarver’s victim impact statement paid loving tribute “The loss of my wife Angela has devastated me. Never a day passes when I do not think about her and the times we had together.

“She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother whose generous nature and love of life was a joy to all who knew her.

“Despite having a stroke in June 1991, she was determined to carry on as normal a life as possible. Over the years, she became more and more disabled but carried on despite this with her interests and activities.

“I have lost my best friend and the love of my life. She was the light of my life and now the light has gone out, cruelly extinguished.

“The 19th December 2019 was the last time I would ever see Angela and I was never able to say goodbye to her.”