Man who assaulted elderly parents receives suspended sentence

A DROMORE man who admitted assaulting both his parents has received a suspended jail sentence.

Cyril Kelly (56), of Blackwater Road, was charged with assaulting his father and his mother, as well as the criminal damage of a mobile phone belonging to his mother.

His father, who was aged 84, died in hospital several days after the incident in June 2021.

The defendant was initially charged with the unlawful killing of his father, but this was subsequently reduced to assault.

Kelly later entered guilty pleas to the assaults and criminal damage, and appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court on Tuesday for sentencing.

The court heard that, at around 10pm on June 26, 2021, the defendant was with his mother when his brother David phoned her.

Cyril then took the phone from his mother and shouted abuse at David, who ended the call.

After this call ended, David rang his father, who eventually answered. Cyril then took the phone from his father and proceeded to shout more abuse at David.

David recalled hearing his mother saying “Stop and leave (your father) alone” to Cyril and David thought he heard someone speak of calling the police.

Following the phone call, Cyril proceeded to shout at his father which led the older man to believe he was at risk of ‘immediate attack’ and collapsed.

The collapse resulted in his father being admitted to South West Acute Hospital two days later, where he died following a subdural haemorrhage head injury.

A defence barrister told the court that the defendant had been under the influence of alcohol that night and had not been taking his prescribed medication for a week before the incident took place.

District Judge Bernie Kelly said that these were “vulnerable elderly people” in their own home that should’ve been safe from harm.

“It should not have happened. I am duty bound to deem this so serious only custody will suffice,” the judge said

Mrs Kelly imposed a six-month jail sentence, which she then suspended for a year.