Hamilton man gets 10 years for killing his father
BY EVAN GOODENOW egoodenow@loudountimes.com Dec 14, 2023
This article has been updated with information from Thomas A. Julia, lead Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
Angus Ian Brown said he regretted eating psilocybin mushrooms and drinking three or four glasses of scotch. He blamed his intoxication for becoming paranoid and killing his father with an axe. ... "I take full responsibility for my actions," Brown said at his sentencing hearing in Loudoun Circuit Court on Dec. 14. "If I was of sober mind, I never would've hurt my father, who I deeply loved." ... Judge Matthew Parke Snow sentenced the 25-year-old Brown to 10 years in prison with five suspended for voluntary manslaughter and five years for shooting or stabbing in commission of a felony. Upon release, Brown will be on five years of supervised probation.
Angus Ian Brown
Courtesy Photo/Loudoun County Sheriff's Office
David Eugene Brown, 62, was
killed around 4:15 a.m. in the kitchen of his Twin Oaks Plaza home in Hamilton on Jan. 2. His son
pleaded guilty on Sept. 7. ... Angus Brown had been treated for anxiety and depression for two years after a full psychotic break in 2018, according to court documents. ... He told Loudoun County Sheriff's Office detectives that he drank scotch and ingested magic mushrooms after finishing a double shift as a cook at Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar in Leesburg around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 1. He said he was told by co-workers that the mushrooms helped ease anxiety.
Jedidiah Brown, Angus Brown's brother, told authorities his brother became became paranoid after taking the mushrooms and collected hatchets and knives when he returned home. He said that, when his father tried to calm his brother down and take the hatchet from him, Angus Brown struck his father once or twice in the neck with the hatchet. Investigators said Angus Brown also used a knife when he attacked his father.
Rebekah B. Brown, David Brown's wife, testified at the sentencing that the killing was accidental and that her husband would want their son to get mental health treatment instead of punishment. ... "I know in my heart of hearts there was no malice. It was actually a tragic accident," she said. "He loved his dad and his dad loved him." ... David Brown, a 62-year-old father of three, worked for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency nearly 40 years, according to his obituary. Neighbors described him as easygoing and friendly.
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