A 31-year-old man has confessed to beheading his mother with an axe in Hellevoetsluis, prosecutors told a court in Dordrecht on Monday.

Jesse R was arrested on April 16 after fleeing the crime scene in his mother’s car. Police found a bag in the vehicle containing both the axe and the woman’s head. Her body was discovered by a friend in the home after he saw R run away.

Prosecutors said R was likely in a psychotic state at the time of the killing. He is due to undergo psychiatric examination at the Pieter Baan Centre, but the assessment is unlikely to begin before November due to waiting lists.

R’s lawyer, Job Knoester, told the court his client had long been in contact with mental health services. “It’s slowly starting to sink in what he’s done, and he finds it horrific,” Knoester said.

The defence has requested that a mental health worker who spoke to R shortly before the killing be called as a witness. Knoester said the testimony could shed light on his client’s mental state at the time.

On social media, R previously described himself as manic depressive.

The next pro-forma hearing is scheduled for 21 October. R will remain in custody while the investigation continues.