Man gets 6 years for vicious attack on his mother

A West Kelowna man, who viciously attacked his then 79-year-old mother, savagely beating and choking her, throwing her down a 100-metre embankment off a lonely logging road and leaving her bloodied, beaten and unconscious to die, has been handed a six-year jail sentence.

Kevin Lee Barrett, 61, who has been held in custody since his arrest in April 2019, will serve 3.5 years more in jail after being given credit for time served while awaiting his trial.

The Crown prosecutor in the case asked for a sentence of eight to nine years in prison, while Barrett’s lawyer wanted 4.5 years in jail, plus three years of probation.

But, in BC Supreme Court in Kelowna Friday, Judge Steven Wilson, who called the April 29, 2019 attack on Elinor Holmes an “extremely vicious attack,” a “sad case” and a “cowardly unprovoked surprise attack on a frail elderly woman,” said he was imposing a sentence at the high end of the sentencing norm for aggravated assault, six years. Aggravated assault can carry a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison but the BC Court of Appeal has set the norm at between 17 months and six years, said Wilson.

“This was an extremely vicious attack with blows to the head, body and limbs, a very nasty bite on the hand, with hand fulls of her hair torn out of her scalp,” said judge in sentencing Barrett. “This would have undoubtably been an event of terrifying brutality for the victim.”

And he noted while she has recovered from many of her physical injuries, the mental injury could remain with her a lot longer.

Holmes survived the attack, climbed up the embankment after regaining consciousness despite her injuries and was rescued by a couple who were out walking in the area at the time.

On Friday, she sat at the back of the public gallery wearing a mask that hid her facial expression and listened to the judge pass sentence on her son. She then left quietly, declining to comment.

Holmes told investigators last year it was as if her son had turned into “Satan himself” during the attack, adding she loved her son, but she said she was terrified of him now.

Originally charged with attempted murder, Barrett made a surprise plea to aggravated assault earlier in the week, just before his mother was to testify.

Barrett is bipolar, has a history of not taking his medication and was convicted for two acts of violence in the past.

In addition to the prison sentence, Barrett was also ordered to submit a DNA sample, banned from ever owning a firearm and ordered to have no contact with his mother during his prison sentence.