Guilty verdict for man who strangled his mother and set her house on fire

Kiri Brackenridge has been found guilty of murdering his mother Linda Edwards by strangling her and then setting fire to her Mt Roskill home. Photo / Nick Reed

A young man who strangled his mother before pouring petrol over her and setting her body alight in her Auckland home has been found guilty on all three charges.

A jury today found Kiri Paul Patira Brackenridge guilty of murdering his mother Linda Winifred Edwards, guilty of arson and guilty of dishonestly using a document.

The jury reconvened at the High Court at Auckland about 4pm today to give their verdict.

The trial started last Monday and Brackenridge, 28, was defending the charge, pleading not guilty by reason of insanity.

His mother was found dead inside a Rainford St, Mt Roskill home after firefighters fought a blaze there on November 8, 2016.

Crown prosecutor Scott McColgan told the jury at the start of the trial that Brackenridge strangled his mother some time between 10.30pm and 11.30pm on November 8.

He then left her body on the couch and drove away in her car with her credit card.

Brackenridge stopped at an ATM machine, McColgan said, before buying a packet of cigarettes and $1 worth of petrol.

Upon returning to the house he poured the petrol over his mother's body and set her alight.

The jury was told those facts were not disputed, but that instead it was Brackenridge's state of mind at the time which they had to decide.

His lawyer Marie Dyhrberg QC, argued despite his use of meth, he was legally insane at the time Edwards was killed.

Justice Pheroze Jagose presided over the trial.

Brackenridge was remanded in custody for sentencing.