The trial for Robert Lyons began this week for the Avril Lavigne tickets murder. Lyons is accused of stabbing his mother to death after his mom failed to get him tickets to see Avril Lavigne in concert. Lyons is 39-years-old. Now, the “man kills mom” defendant is pleading self-defense as he faces the possibility of life behind bars.
Prosecutors allege that Lyons asked his mom to call a friend to arrange skybox tickets for the concert, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. After she refused to do so, Lyons flew into a rage and brutally beat and stabbed his 61-year-old mother to death in the condo they shared.
Lyons is accused of slamming a bottle of cognac into his mother's head and then stabbing her nine times with a knife. The attack was so violent that the knife blade broke off in his mother's body, reports the Sun-Times. After killing his mom, Lyons went to Hooters where he was arrested.
Charged with murder, Lyons says that he didn't intentionally kill his mom. Instead, he said he acted out of self-defense when his mom held a kitchen knife to his face during an argument.
Generally, self-defense may be a complete defense to murder. To prove self-defense, the defendant will usually have to prove that the killing resulted from a real fear of death or serious bodily injury -- such as having a knife stuck in one's face. Additionally, the amount of force used must reflect the threat posed.
So, man kills mom after that mom allegedly stuck a knife in his face. If true, Robert Lyons may have had a legitimate fear for his own safety warranting self-defense. However, it will be up to a judge to determine if slamming a bottle of cognac on his mother's head twice and stabbing her nine times was a reasonable response in the Avril Lavigne tickets murder.
Related Resources:
- Find a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney (FindLaw)
- Mom allegedly killed over Avril Lavigne tickets (United Press International)
- First Degree Murder (FindLaw)
- John Granat Accused of Killing Parents (FindLaw's Chicago Family Law Blog)
ShareThis
