Updated 2.50pm: A Taranaki man has been remanded in custody after being charged with the murder of his mother.

47 year old David Blake was arrested at the weekend, after allegedly killing 71 year old Gwen Blake in Stratford on Friday night.

A post mortem of the victim found she died of injuries sustained in a serious assault.

Blake has appeared in the New Plymouth District Court today, and will be back in court on February 20.