A LAS LOMAS man who killed his pregnant mother in a frenzied knife attack has been ordered to serve a remaining sentence of just over nine years in prison, after the High Court accepted a plea agreement that reduced the charge from murder to manslaughter.Michael Joseph, now 25, was originally assessed at a starting point of 27 years’ imprisonment for manslaughter. That sentence was reduced following mitigation, a discount for his early guilty plea, and credit for more than six-and-a-half years already spent on remand, leaving him with nine years, one month and 29 days still to serve.The sentence was imposed on Wednesday by Justice Sherene Murray-Bailey, who accepted that Joseph had acted under provocation linked to longstanding psychological trauma stemming from his childhood.Joseph was 18 when he fatally stabbed his mother, Allistra Mack-Kampo, at their Las Lomas home on August 24, 2019.At the time, Mack-Kampo, 36, was four months' pregnant.The plea deal followed discussions between Joseph’s attorneys from the Public Defenders' Department (PDD) and attorneys from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Under the agreement, Joseph pleaded guilty to manslaughter instead of facing a murder trial.In outlining the facts accepted by the court, prosecutor Chenelle Moe said the attack began shortly before 11 pm. Joseph’s aunt, Rodha Mack, told investigators she was awakened by screams and heard her niece shouting for her son to stop.When Mack entered the bedroom, she saw Joseph wearing surgical gloves and repeatedly stabbing his mother at the foot of the bed. As she intervened, Joseph turned on her, inflicting serious injuries that included a fractured skull.Joseph then attacked his five-year-old sister, grabbing her by the throat and dragging her into the living room before she escaped and ran outside covered in blood. Relatives and neighbours restrained Joseph until police arrived.A post-mortem revealed that Mack-Kampo suffered 41 stab wounds. Police recovered a broken knife and bloodstained gloves from the scene.In a police interview, Joseph admitted carrying out the attack, saying built-up frustration caused him to explode. He later expressed remorse and asked for forgiveness from his family.During sentencing submissions, defence attorney Michelle Ali and instructing attorney Sarah Julien said Joseph’s actions were rooted in severe childhood neglect, emotional instability and substance abuse. Reports before the court detailed a life marked by family upheaval, rejection and early exposure to drugs and alcohol.Despite being among those injured, Mack and Joseph’s grandfather, Daniel Melville, submitted written statements forgiving him and urging the court to focus on rehabilitation.In delivering sentence, Justice Murray-Bailey said the court accepted the 27-year starting point for manslaughter but applied substantial reductions for mitigation, Joseph’s youth at the time of the offence, his clean criminal record and a one-third discount for his early guilty plea.After deducting six years, eight months and 27 days already served on remand, the judge ordered Joseph to complete the outstanding term.She also directed prison authorities to place him in rehabilitative programmes, including anger management, education and substance-abuse treatment, and ordered that counselling services be made available to affected family members.Joseph also received sentences of time served for related offences of wounding Mack with intent and common assault.