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Hammer attack son was £55,000 in debt
11/07/2008 17:19:00
A man who was jailed after he seriously injured both his parents was revealed to be in £55,000 worth of debt.
Mark Dennis struck his elderly housebound father's head nine times with a hammer and dealt three blows to his mother when she tried to intervene, according to the Swansea Evening Post.
The attacker has been sentenced to a minimum jail term of three years and four months after pleading guilty to two charges of causing wounding with intent.
Defence aide David Harris mitigated Mr Dennis' actions in that he was in a significant amount of debt, was inebriated during the incident and was also suffering from psychological issues after his former girlfriend killed herself, reports the source.
His 71-year-old father Brian said in his victim statement he "would never forget the terrible pain each blow caused him", declaring he hoped his son would be imprisoned for "a long time".
According to a study entitled In The Red, compiled by the charity Mind this year, "the onset of debt problems can have a negative impact on a person's mental health".
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