Man Cuts Off His Own Head With Chainsaw

The headline of the year is also a tragedy :

A man in the German city of Cologne fatally stabbed his elderly father before cutting off his own head with an electric chainsaw, police said today.

The headless body of the 24-year-old offender was found when police raced to an the apartment yesterday after an emergency call, apparently from the dying father, had been broken off in mid-sentence, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported.

Alf Willwacher, a senior prosecutor, said an electric chainsaw was next to the son's body.

"We do not believe any third party was involved," he said.

Neighbours said the father and son had been reclusive since the death of the mother, allegedly by suicide, several years ago