A language teacher who 'could not bear to see his ill elderly mother suffer' threw her head first off a first-floor balcony to her death, a court heard today.

Devoted son Robert Knight, even told police he 'wanted her to hit the ground with a big crack', according to prosecutors.

Knight, 52, walked into his mother June's care home in Essex last December, picked the elderly widow up from her bed and carried her out of a fire exit on the first floor.

The lecturer, who had only just finished an evening class to adult students, then lifted the frail 5ft 2ins, six-stone pensioner onto a railing at Langley Lodge in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.

Robert Knight walked into Langley Lodge care home in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, and killed his mother June

Basildon Crown Court heard the only-child tilted his 79-year-old 'terrified' mother over a railing before dropping her on her head.

Mrs Knight, who was in the final stages of her life, suffered a fractured skull and 'catastrophic' injuries in the 13-and-a-half-feet fall.

She was declared dead just minutes after paramedics arrived at the scene on December 10 last year.

Languages lecturer Knight, 52, was arrested at the scene after the 'truly shocking' events.

Knight, of Leigh-on-Sea, was dressed in a grey suit, striped white shirt and grey tie at Basildon Crown Court today as he pled not guilty to murder.

CCTV at the home captured Knight carrying his mother through the fire-door, triggering an alarm in the home which was caring for 22 elderly residents.

Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, described how Knight arrived shortly after his languages course for adults where he had told students he would see them again after the Christmas break.

'The defendant, having put her onto a railing, he then threw her over.

'He stood and watched her fall over 13-feet to her death. He then walked back into the building through the fire-door.

'He did not go downstairs to where she was lying fatally injured,' Mr Jackson said.

Staff called 999 and paramedics were on the scene within six minutes but there was nothing that could be done to save the widow.

The jury heard how moments later Knight presented himself to staff, calmly telling them 'call the police, I have just killed my mother'.

'Asked where his mother was, he pointed towards the fire door and said 'I threw her over there',' Mr Jackson said.

Knight was arrested and told detectives he was 'distressed' because his frail mother had caught a winter virus and he 'could not bear to see her suffer'.

Knight lived with his mother before she was taken into care seven years ago and still lives at the family home in nearby Leigh.

Joanna Senderowicz, a care home worker who was on duty at the time, said: 'He [Mr Knight] cared for her in a way I have never seen before.'

Essex Police officers were called after Robert Knight announced to care home workers what he had done

When asked by defence counsel Michael Levy how that image compared with Mr Knight on the evening of the death, she said they were like 'two different people'.

She added Mrs Knight had been given a week to live.

The jury heard how Knight had battled with staff at the nursing home about what levels of pain relief his mum should be getting. Mrs Knight was given a 'do not resuscitate' order with the agreement of her son.

In the days before her alleged murder she had been admitted to hospital to try to feed her.

Mr Jackson added: 'He [Knight] told police he had decided he would end her life.

'Asked if he had contemplated any other way, he told police he would not have been able to face the prospect of smothering her with a pillow.

'He admitting carrying her from her bed and that he would have had to have acted quickly.'

The court heard how Knight, who sat listening intently to the evidence, tried to carry his mother up as high as possible to 'make doubly sure' but was prevented from getting further than the first floor due to a railing.

Mr Jackson added: 'He told police his mother was conscious and looking at him and was in pain.

'It's more likely she was terrified about what was about to happen to her.

'He told police he want her to hit the ground with a big crack so she would be knocked unconscious.

'In order to achieve that, he tilted her body so that her head might hit the ground first.'

A post-mortem revealed severe head injuries which caused dense underlying bleeding.

'Both pathologists agreed at the point where her head impacted with the ground, she was alive' Mr Jackson added.

Mr Jackson said the Crown would not accept the death was some form of mercy killing and that Knight did not have a 'loss of control' when he threw his mother to her death.

The jury of eight women and four men was warned by Judge Samantha Leigh they would be shown footage captured on the home's CCTV cameras.

Judge Samantha Leigh told them before the case was opened that Knight 'accepts that he killed his mother, the issue is his state of mind at the time'.

Knight denies one count of murder. The case continues.