The smiling killer seems delighted after beating his mother to death

These startling images show a psychologist laughing and joking on a city bus after brutally murdering his mother with a hammer.

The ruthless Robert Child used the gun to beat his mother Janice more than 30 times before locking her bloody body in a utility room at his home in south Liverpool.

The 37-year-old killed the 64-year-old for money and the day after the savage attack she was buying a £ 14,000 Jaguar car with her £ 25,000 savings, which he had helped himself.

Today, after the ghost Child was imprisoned for 29 years, images were released showing his calculated movements immediately after the murder.

CCTV captured the ‘selfish narcissist’ taking bus number 75 at 4:45 pm on March 5 this year, shortly after the shocking assault.

Child, who used to falsely claim that he worked for Manchester United as a scout, was seen laughing and joking with the bus driver even though he had just killed his mother.

The route took him downtown on Myrtle Street, where he got off.

More clips revealed how unhinged Child walked calmly through Woolton Village, holding black gloves and keys.

Moving near the main street, he was seen near the Coffee House pub and then sitting on a bench with a black bag.

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Child lost a Newton hearing in recent days, having disputed that the murder was for financial gain, but Judge Dennis Watson, QC, disagreed.

The former Liverpool University consultant killed his mother in the laundry room of his Woolton home on Kings Drive.

Child planned his mother’s murder, having brought a spare set of clothes to her home and without telling anyone he was visiting her, the judge said.

He added: “It was his understanding that without his money his fantasy lifestyle would collapse.

“You knew you would have to bring your mobile phone to complete the bank transfer.

“You tried to hide your visit by using his mobile phone to call your phone and being able to show missed calls from his phone to yours.

“You even called her phone even though you knew exactly where she was. Even though you knew she was dead.”

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Rhodes said: “Robert Child brutally murdered his mother in a terrible violent attack.

“Since he committed the offense, he has done everything possible to try to lie and escape the consequences of his actions, in the same way that he has lied throughout his life.”

Ms Child was found with 31 injuries, believed to have been caused by a hammer and another weapon, after Kings Drive neighbors contacted police when they were alerted by their barking dachshund Alfie in the early hours in the morning.

Child claimed to be a doctor, despite not having completed a PhD, and told friends that he worked as an analyst for Manchester United.

In evidence from financial investigator Adrian McGrath, the court heard that Child was over £ 32,000 in debt at the time of his mother’s death.

He also had two county court judgments against him for £ 16,000, McGrath said.

John Benson, QC, accuser, read a letter from Janice Child’s cousin, George Moffatt, who spoke of his “shock” at the defendant’s actions.

He said: “Although many years ago the deceased and her husband, now deceased, had put distance between themselves and the rest of the family that they met at the funerals of Janice’s parents and her brother John.”

The court heard that Moffatt last met Child when he was around nine years old and said his mother “idolized” him, who “made sure he had an excellent education.”

Moffatt also said the family was “confused” after Child was told he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, only to find out later that it was a lie.