A woman decapitated her 73-year-old mother with a knife and scissors before removing her brain and kissing it in front of a family friend, a court heard today.

Odessa Tammy Carey, 36, is accused of beating her mother to death at her home in Ashington, Northumberland, before performing the grisly act.

Odessa Carey, 36, beat her mother, also called Odessa Carey, to death at her home then used a knife and scissors to cut off her head, cut a cross shape into her abdomen and removed her brain, it has been claimed.

Odessa Tammy Carey (pictured) is accused of beating her mother to death at her Northumberland home. Newcastle Crown Court has heard claims that the daughter carried her mother's severed head around in a carrier bag and kissed it in front of a family friend

Newcastle Crown Court heard today that the killer daughter carried the severed heard around in a carrier bag and brought it out and kissed it in front of a family friend.

The 73-year-old's headless corpse was found on her bed and her brain was in the bathroom at her home in Ashington, Northumberland.

Mrs Carey's head was found at a separate address, in a cupboard under the sink, at a house where Carey Jr was found hiding in the loft.

An undated file photo shows Odessa Carey, 73, whose headless body was discovered at her home in Ashington, Northumberland, with her head found at a separate address under a sink. Her daughter, also named Odessa Carey, 36, has been charged with murder but is too unwell to face trial for a criminal offence

Carey, of no fixed address, has been charged with murder but is too unwell to face trial for a criminal offence.

Jurors will decide whether Carey did the act of killing but not whether she is guilty or not guilty.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley QC told the court that Mrs Carey Sr, who used a mobility scooter to get around, was found dead on April 8 last year.

Mr Lumley said: 'On her bed, in her own home, lay Odessa Carey Sr's body. Her head was missing and her abdomen, her tummy, had been cut open to expose the inside of her stomach.

'In the bath in the house, in a plastic container, there was blood and there were parts of brain tissue.

'There was also implements; a large pair of scissors, knives and a mallet.'

Mr Lumley said police went to an address in Guide Post, Northumberland, and found Carey hiding in a loft.

He added: 'In a cupboard under the sink at the address in Guidepost police found a human head, wrapped in a pillow case, in a towel, inside a carrier bag.'

Odessa Tammy Carey has been charged with murder but will not face trial. Instead jurors will decide whether or not she did the act of killing

Jurors were shown cctv of Carey carrying the bag around the streets in the days before the grim discovery.

The court heard the day before her mother's body was found, Carey had taken the head to a friend's allotment.

Mr Lumley added: 'She was sitting in his shed. This time she was wiping up blood from her hands and her arms using one or more baby wipes.

'She had a bag with her and from the bag she carefully took a parcel, of sorts, the contents wrapped in a pillow case in a towel, from which she produced a human head.

Police can be seen at the scene of the crime in Ashington, Northumberland in April last year, when Odessa Carey Jr is accused of decapitating her mother

Forensic teams can be seen outside the Ashington home in a file photo from April last year. Mrs Carey's head was found at a separate address, in a cupboard under the sink, at a house where Carey Jr was found hiding in the loft

'Odessa Carey spoke and kissed her mother's forehead before carefully re-wrapping the head in its shroud, putting it back into the bag.'

Mr Lumley said expert findings suggest Mrs Carey had been face down on her bed when she was attacked and there was 'multiple impacts' to her head which caused fractures to her face and skull.

The court heard it was the head injuries, which may have been caused with a mallet, that caused the death.

Mr Lumley said Mrs Carey's head was removed using 'knives and scissors' after she was dead.

He added: 'Her body was then turned over and her abdomen cut open, in the shape of a cross.

'Her head was then taken into the bathroom, where the brain was removed from the skull and the mallet was washed.'

Mr Lumley said Carey's DNA was found on the handle of the mallet.

He added: 'The head was wrapped up in the bathroom before being taken from the house.'

The trial continues.