Teen attacked mum with hockey stick

A 19-year-old who pleaded guilty to assaulting his mother with a hockey stick in a “particularly unpleasant” incident has had sentence deferred for reports.

Appearing from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court, Lindsay Williamson of Meadowfield Crescent, Scalloway, admitted repeatedly striking his mother to her injury in the village’s Craigpark Road at around 12.30am on Sunday. Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said the offence was triggered by Williamson losing at a game of pool.

Mr MacKenzie told Monday’s hearing Williamson had been drinking socially at the Legion in the village but the pool game had put him in a bad mood. He went to his mother’s house in Craigpark Road, still in a mood, then to his own flat.

From there he sent his mother a text that he was going to take an overdose, to which she replied he needed to grow up.

Shortly afterwards she heard a noise at her front door and opened it, to see Williamson carrying a hockey stick and demanding which item in the house he would smash first.

His mother told him to get out, but then left the house herself for her own safety. He followed and tried to order her back in. When she refused he started hitting her on the legs with a “significant” degree of force.

She was struck four times, and her screams for help were heard by a number of people. It was only when she said she would call the police that her son walked away.

The mother was taken to Gilbert Bain Hospital by ambulance and was kept in hospital until the next day. Her legs were badly swollen, cut and bleeding, and her knee was swollen, but she is not expected to have any long-term physical effects.

Mr MacKenzie said that the particularly unpleasant incident was “concerning” because Williamson did not show any concern for his mother when interviewed by police, and was more worried about himself.

Another concerning aspect was that Williamson had armed himself with a weapon to return to his mother’s. It was not a “spontaneous act” as he had had “time for reflection”.

Sheriff Philip Mann deferred sentence for reports to determine the background to the case, but said it sounded like a “very serious assault” and in the public interest he had to consider “all options”.

He released Williamson on bail, with the condition that he does not go to his mother’s house. However this does not prevent contact as both mother and son work for the same employer, and she can contact him if she wants to.

Williamson will next appear at court on 17th April.