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AN Omagh man who punched his 82-year-old mother has been handed a suspended sentence after a judge described his actions as ‘disgraceful’.
“You caused your own mother to bleed. It’s disgraceful,” a judge told the defendant.
Appearing before Omagh Magistrates Court today was Paul Mitchell (62), of Newtownsaville Road.
The court heard that on September 21 this year at approximately 11am, police received a report from Mitchell’s 82 year old mother claiming he had punched her.
Upon arriving at the scene, police observed blood on both a table and the injured party’s clothes.
Mitchell was arrested and interviewed by police, making full admissions to the assault and apologising for it.
A defence solicitor told the court that since the assault, Mitchell ‘greatly misses his mother’ and further noted that he had a learning difficulties, health issues and a low IQ.
It was further noted that Mitchell had spent just over three weeks in custody following the assault, with his defence solicitor requesting that the court impose ‘something to reflect this’.
The court also heard that the injured party had not requested a restraining order against her son.
District Judge Magill noted that Mitchell had one previous conviction of criminal damage, which was also related to his mother.
Judge Magill described the assault as ‘worrying’ and ‘serious’.
“You deserve to go to prison.”
Taking Mitchell’s early guilty plea and health issues into consideration, Judge Magill handed Mitchell a four month custodial sentence which was then suspended for three years.
Concluding, he told Mitchell, “I don’t want to see you ever again.”
