An anti-vaxer accused of throttling his mother and then firing crossbow bolts into her head in revenge for her making him have jabs as a child has gone on trial for murder.

Accused Moritz Ruhnke, 21, is said to have executed his mother in revenge for her taking him for vaccinations when he was younger, say prosecutors.

He called the police to tell them he had killed his 54-year-old mother Sandra Ruhnke in March this year.

He told judges at the court in Hof, in the German state of Bavaria, that he had known for months that he would kill his mother.

Ruhnke blamed the killing on “damage” caused by years of vaccines and jabs he had been given while growing up.

He said: “I’ve been damaged by the formaldehyde, aluminium and heavy metal I was injected with.”

Prosecutors say that after strangling his mother with a knotted pillowcase Rhunke called for an ambulance.

Then while he was waiting for paramedics to arrive, the court heard, he fired two crossbow bolts into her head at his flat in Thiersheim, also in Bavaria.

Ruhnke said that a day earlier, he had argued with his mother as she gave him a lift home from his job at a foundry.

Investigators discovered an axe in the suspect’s bed, according to local media.

Victim Sandra was, in contrast to her son, a supporter of vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2021, she captioned a photo on social media saying: “Alright, got my second jab. All went well.”

State prosecutors told the court that Ruhnke suffered from hallucinations.

They believe the killing was triggered by doctors urging his mother to vaccinate his younger brother against the human papillomavirus (HPV).

The virus can cause genital warts and has been linked to penile and anal cancer.

Sandra’s obituary, published in local newspapers by relatives, read in part: “Don’t be sad when you think of me.

“Instead, leave a place for me between you as I enjoyed it with you. I’m not far, just on the other side of the path.”

The suspect remains in custody as the trial continues.