A magistrate has blasted a middle-aged man who punched his mother and dragged her by the hair, saying the offender's kicking of the elderly woman was "particularly cowardly".
Details of the horrendous incident were aired in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday, when magistrate Glenn Theakston sentenced the attacker to nine months in jail.
An agreed statement of facts shows the 54-year-old offender and his elderly mother lived together in Lyneham at the time in question.
Late on July 8, the victim was walking down the hallway when her son grabbed her by the hair, causing her to slip and fall.
The offender then punched his mother repeatedly in the head, dragged her along the floor and booted the left side of her body as she screamed in fear.
"I am going to be killed," the victim screamed. "I am going to die."
A neighbour went to her aid and threw some shoes at the offender, who was by this stage lying on top of his mother in what the facts describe as "an attempt to crush her".
MORE COURT AND CRIME NEWS:
- 'Very sad' COVID-19 diagnosis not enough for bail
- Passenger partially ejected as car driven 'like missile' crashes
- 'It broke my heart': Childcare worker throws boy who refused to clean up toys
- Deadly skatepark brawl dubbed 'a salutary warning' as six sentenced
- 'Don't worry about that': Killer driver's alleged post-crash comment
The intervention helped the victim to escape the house and police, who arrived within 10 minutes of the incident beginning, managed to handcuff the "non-compliant" attacker.
The 54-year-old, who was heard yelling "I'll kill ya" during the incident, has been behind bars ever since.
He appeared in court for sentence on Friday, having previously pleaded guilty to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
Mr Theakston described the attack as "relatively violent".
"It's not simply a push or a nudge," he noted.
The magistrate was especially unimpressed by the offender's kicking of the victim.
"It's a particularly cowardly way to strike anyone, let alone your mother, with your foot, or feet, while they're on the ground," he said.
Mr Theakston also said he had read a statement from the victim, who was "grieving the loss of her son" because she no longer felt safe with him.
"I suspect the relationship will never be the same," the magistrate remarked.
The court heard the attack may have been prompted by three things, including an argument about an inheritance.
"[These things] simply cannot be excuses for behaviour of this gravity," Mr Theakston told the offender.
The magistrate ultimately sentenced the 54-year-old man to nine months in jail, with an order that the balance of the term be suspended after six months.
With term already served, the man will be released from custody in January.
