Guilty, son who burned mother to death
A MAN was yesterday convicted of murdering his 71-year-old mother by dousing her in petrol and setting her on fire.
Former offshore worker William Kelly, 42, shouted ‘die, die’ as Cathy Kelly was engulfed in flames. He is now facing a life sentence. Following the blaze, Kelly’s only concern was the safety of his West Highland terrier Poppy.
Minutes earlier Kelly had punched and kicked his mother, leaving her face down on the living room floor.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that the killer broke off from the brutal assault to take a phone call which he answered in a silly voice claiming to be a worker in an Indian restaurant.
After finishing the call, Kelly further assaulted his defenceless mother.
Throughout his trial, he denied murdering Mrs Kelly at the home they shared in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, on February 11 this year.
He said he had never hit his mother and claimed she had been set on fire by accident. Kelly told the court he was cleaning a car part in the garage and spilt petrol on his trousers and trainers.
He claimed that as he bent over his mother while she lay on the floor, he lit a cigarette and there was a blue flash.
But the jury were told by a fire expert that if the fire had happened as Kelly claimed he would have been much more badly injured.
The jury unanimously convicted him of murdering his mother.
The killer showed no emotion as he was led to the cells.
Judge Lady Stacey deferred sentence until January 10 for reports. She told jurors: ‘What you have had to listen to has been distressing and sad.’
The court heard that Kelly had flown into a rage because his mother had embarrassed him at a 21st birthday party by drinking too much. He ordered her and his then partner Eleanor Banks to leave and called a taxi.
When they returned home around 11pm, he dragged his mother into the house when she fell as she got out the taxi.
He then punched and kicked the helpless pensioner on the head and body in their living room. Mrs Banks, 44, told prosecutor Ashley Edwards, QC: ‘William was emptying a petrol can onto his mum and I couldn’t stop him.
‘I was standing screaming “You’re going to kill your mum” and he was saying “die”. She just went up like an inferno.’
A pathologist said the victim suffered bruising, broken ribs and second degree burns to 45 per cent to her body.
Detective Chief Inspector Allan Burton said: ‘I would like to recognise the bravery of those family members who had to stand up and provide testimony in court.’