A drunken thug carried out vicious separate attacks on his elderly aunt and mother because they would not give him more money for alcohol.
Brian Sawers smothered his 79-year-old aunt with a cushion and battered his 81-year-old mum, leaving her with two black eyes and a dislodged tooth.
Sawers, 40, now of Peebles Street, Kirkcaldy, carried out the violent assaults in Crossgates, where he was living with his aunt, and at his mum’s home in Hill of Beath.
He appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court and admitted two charges.
On January 6 at Springhill Brae, Crossgates, he assaulted his aunt Joanne Crawford, by demanding money from her, pushing her on the body and holding a pillow over her face.
On August 14, at Woodend Place, Hill of Beath, he assaulted his mother Isa Sawers, then aged 81, demanded money from her, seized and squeezed her face and repeatedly punched her on the head and body.
Sawers stamped on her feet, shouted and screamed at her, threatened her with violence, pushed her onto the ground then punched her.
Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden said Mrs Crawford, who had brought Sawers up from a young age, had been at home watching TV on a Saturday night at 7.30pm when he appeared in a “heavily intoxicated” state.
He went to his bedroom then came back into living room and demanded money.
“He pushed her on the chest and she pushed him back. He then grabbed a cushion from the sofa where she was sitting,” said the depute.
“He placed the cushion over her face, effectively smothering her. She began to struggle and started to feel light-headed.”
Mrs Crawford began to lash out with her arms and legs then took off a shoe and hit Sawers with it to defend herself.
“She was able to escape and was extremely frightened,” added the depute. The victim fled from her home dressed in her pyjamas and went to her daughter’s house.
When detained, Sawers gave a “no comment” interview to police.
The second attack happened when his mother was at home watching TV between 6pm and 7pm and a drunk Sawers turned up demanding money for more alcohol.
The depute said Mrs Sawers did not keep money in her house because she wanted to deter these visits from her son.
“He sat down next to her and then grabbed either side of her face and squeezed her cheeks together with such force that it caused a tooth to dislodge in her upper jaw,” she said.
“She was then punched to the head about six or seven times. She shouted for him to stop.”
A neighbour heard screaming from the house then saw Sawers “staggering past carrying a tin of beer”.
The court heard Mrs Sawers was left with several large areas of bruising including two black eyes and a dislodged tooth.
Sawers again gave a “no comment” interview to police when detained.
Sheriff Charles MacNair called for reports and bail was continued until sentencing on December 11.
