Attack on the elderly

SIR – We were appalled to read that Sir Walter Gavin Gilbey will not face a custodial sentence (report, February 13), despite having been found guilty of assaulting his 95-year-old mother.

Instead, he was fined a paltry £339 and ordered to pay £625 in costs. His mother was also awarded a meagre £200 in compensation.

This was a violent assault on a very vulnerable older person. It was carried out in her own home, by someone she ought to have been able to trust. In issuing such a half-hearted sentence for such a grave crime, our legal system is once again sending out the message that abusing older people is no big deal. Stephen Mccarthy

England Director, Action on Elder Abuse London SW16