The Takeo Provincial Court charged a man on Saturday for killing his mother with the blow of an axe to her head.

Sem Socheat, the chief of the provincial police serious crimes bureau said on Sunday that Chhun Bonat, 34, was arrested for killing Khan Naret, 59.

“I only know that the court charged him for murder, but I don’t remember which article he was charged with. The court ordered us to take him in,” he said.

Takeo Provincial Court spokesman Lim Sokhorn could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

Citing the suspect’s relatives, Tram Kak district deputy police chief Sok Sochea said on Sunday that Bonat was married with two children.

His wife left him to live with her mother at Bati district. He said doctors confirmed the suspect had psychiatric issues.

Before the incident, Bonat visited his wife and children and then walked from Bati to his house in Ang Tasom commune, Tram Kak district.

The suspect reached his house at around 3am on Friday. Neighbours later heard a loud noise and when they checked, they saw Naret lying on a bed, Sochea said.

The neighbours said she had a deep scar on her head and Bonat was holding an axe, so they assumed he had killed his mother.

Tram Kak district police arrived at the scene and Bonet scuffled with them, but he was subdued and arrested, he said.

Neighbours attempted to take Naret to the Tram Kak district referral hospital, but she died along the way.