Conspiracy theorist attempted to murder pregnant partner in the bath

Anthony Beckett launched the violent and murderous attack in January when he believed he had become the target for the Chinese and US security service after posting a number of QAnon theories about the Covid pandemic.

The 33-year-old, who had suffered from mental health problems for several years, had a machete, knives, and a homemade noose, hidden around his Middlesbrough home after becoming obsessed with the US election.

Anthony Beckett

His brave partner managed to pull the plug on the bath while Beckett was attempting to strangle her before eventually managing to escape, naked into the street and call for help, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The couple’s two children were in the home while Beckett was attempting to murder his partner.

Jo Kidd, prosecuting, said the defendant has discussed the need to kill their family in the build-up to the ‘great revelation’ on January 20 and promised to seek medical help if nothing happened as his mental health deteriorated during lockdown.

But two days before the ‘great reset’ his mental health spiralled out of control and he grabbed a hammer before striking his partner four times as she rinsed her hair under the water in the bath.

“She describes it like a wrecking ball to her head,” said Miss Kidd. “She described four blows with the hammer and an unrelenting attack with a clear aim of killing her.

“He was saying ‘I need to do this, I need to do this’.

“She tried to fight back against the attack but he then put his hands around her throat and tried to drown her. He was squeezing her throat hard and she was struggling, trying to unhook the plug and reduce the water level; to reduce her risk of being held under the water and drowning.

“He repeatedly tried to get her head under the water. She was terrified and terrified for the safety of their children.

“She thought he would killer her and their children.”

Beckett, of Alnwick Court, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to attempted murder following the attack on January 18 this year.

Jonathan Walker, in mitigation, said his client had suffered serious mental health issues since childhood, predating his regular use of cannabis.

"He had no recollection of what happened that night," he added.

"Thankfully, after this psychotic episode, when he began to collect his thoughts, his first words were for his children and for his partner. That has been the case throughout these proceedings."

Judge Penny Moreland sentenced Beckett to ten years in custody.

She said: "At the time of committing this offence, you were suffering from a brief psychotic disorder or cannabis induced psychotic disorder. You were aware of the risk of drug-induced psychosis."