A 25-YEAR-OLD man who hit his mother with a brush shaft and told her that he hoped she would “burn in hell” has been ordered to pay her £500 in compensation.

Stephen Bertrum Goodall, of Henry Street, Enniskillen, was charged with unlawfully assaulting his mother on August 20 this year.

Goodall entered a guilty plea to the offence at an earlier appearance before Fermanagh Magistrates Court and a pre-sentence report was prepared in the case.

The court heard that, at 5pm, the injured party was at home by herself, when her husband returned, followed shortly afterwards by her son, the defendant.

She was in the bedroom when the defendant shouted, “Who the f**k do you think you are? This is my car.” Upon seeing that her son was brandishing a brush shaft, the woman attempted to get out of the way but fell over.

The defendant swung the brush shaft, striking his mother on the left buttock. He then raised his arm as if to hit her husband with the shaft, but the injured party stood between them and got the stick off him.

Goodall dragged his mother from the room and told her to look at the damage she had done to his Porshe.

He subsequently  went into the kitchen and she heard glass shattering. She heard him say: “I hope you burn in hell, you're no mother of mine.”

The injured party later went in and saw that the glass at the bottom of her cooker was broken. 

She sustained bruising to her left buttock and her arm as a result of the assault, the court heard.

Defending solicitor, Nicola McCaffrey, told the court that her client had been “absolutely appalled” by his own behaviour.

The solicitor said that, on the day in question, his mother had arranged for a forklift to remove his Porsche and a “fair amount” of damage had been down to the vehicle's door.

Ms McCaffrey said that the defendant had been “infuriated” and lashed out and assaulted her, but added that it wasn't premeditated.

She told the court that Goodall had not intended to use the brush shaft. However, the solicitor conceded that her client had lost his temper.

In mitigation, Ms McCaffrey said the defendant was employed as a design engineer, was newly married and had moved into his own home. She added that Goodall had nothing previous of this nature.

District judge, Nigel Broderick, observed that the defendant's behaviour had been “totally reprehensible” and “totally disgraceful”.

Referring to the pre-sentence report, the judge said that his mother stated that she wanted her son to get anger management counselling.

Imposing a 12-month Probation Order on Goodall, Mr Broderick also ordered him to pay £500 compensation to his victim.