Sleepwalker cleared of murder charges

A British man was cleared of murdering his father after a court accepted his excuse he was sleepwalking at the time, a highly unusual defence seen just a handful of times in the country's legal history.

Jules Lowe, 32, was facing life imprisonment for killing his father. He did not deny the attack but claimed to have no memory of it.

At the start of the case, prosecutors labelled Lowe's defence of sleepwalking "far-fetched in the extreme". However, after hearing expert testimony on the phenomenon, the jury at Manchester Crown Court opted for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Lowe will be sent to a secure hospital for tests.