A deluded sports psychologist who brutally murdered his own mum invented working relationships with international sports stars.
Robert Child was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years in 2020 after admitting the murder of his mother Janice. He was this week brought back before Liverpool Crown Court for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act and told to pay up more than £100,000, having transferred money out of the 64-year-old's bank account immediately after killing her then purchasing a Jaguar with the money.
The court previously heard that he struck his victim more than 30 times with the weapon on March 5 2020 at her home on Kings Drive in Woolton before locking her bloodied body in the utility room. Ms Child was found dead by neighbours in the early hours of the following day after neighbours were alerted by her barking dog.
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Child - of King's Drive in Thingwall, Wirral - then immediately transferred £25,000 out of her bank account and into his own. He was out purchasing the Jaguar the following day when police came knocking on his door.
CCTV captured him boarding the number 75 bus into Liverpool city centre in the aftermath of the incident. The footage showed him laughing and joking with the driver in spite of the horrifically violent assault he had only just committed.
It came after the former University of Liverpool consultant concocted a web of fantasy in which he claimed to have a wealth of world famous clients - including Manchester United, British Athletics, England Golf, Espanyol, Team GB, the Football Association, the Chicago Fire Department, the Ministry of Defence, Archery GB and more. But many of these teams and organisations had little or no association with him and the Red Devils, for example, have no record of him ever working as a scout as he insisted he had.
Child also lied about achieving a doctorate and a PhD. Other supposed but fictitious exploits included working in combat zones for the MOD, while he also fabricated a bleed to the brain and claimed he had played hockey for Great Britain.
On his own website, Child said: "Hi, I'm Dr Robert Child, one of the UK's leading coaches. For over a decade, I've been working with clients around the world to help them achieve their goals.
"With a background as an international athlete and coach, combined with the knowledge gained during doctoral research into coaching science, I bring a results-orientated, no-nonsense approach to any task and have clients spanning professional sports, universities, research institutions, multi-national companies and individual clients."
The "selfish narcissist" pleaded guilty to murder but tried to reduce the amount of time he would spend behind bars by arguing that his crime was not motivated by money. Child tried to claim that he was provoked by his mum's political views, calling her a "Brexit-voting halfwit" and even attempted to convince people she had trolled his wife on Twitter.
He had planned the vicious killing, having taken a spare change of clothes to Ms Child's house and failed to tell anyone that he was going to visit her beforehand. At the time of the attack, Child was more than £32,000 in debt and also had two county court judgements against him for £16,000.
Attempting to cover his tracks, he used his mum's phone to ring his own mobile - which he had deliberately left at his university base as he tried to construct a false alibi.
On Wednesday, the killer was brought back before the same court for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Henry Skudra, prosecuting, said that the now 40-year-old had benefited financially to a total of £78,589.62 from his mum's murder.
This was because his mother's estate had been passed on to his dad, who himself died only weeks after her untimely death. This meant that her money was indirectly passed on to the son.
Child, who appeared via video link to HMP Frankland, currently has available assets totaling £339,106.60. He was told to repay the benefit figure within three months or be handed an additional two-and-a-half years behind bars.
In this event, the outstanding sum would still have to be paid. Child, who was represented by Ian Harris, was also told to cough up court costs amounting to £31,209.40 plus a victim surcharge by Judge Dennis Watson KC.
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