Peter Thompson receives suspended imprisonment order after assaulting elderly mother

An Albany painter and father of two has been given a suspended imprisonment order after flinging his mother into a door during an argument about his alcohol use. Peter Bradley Thompson, 42, appeared from Albany Regional Prison via video link in Albany Magistrates Court on February 1. He pleaded guilty to one charge of damaging property and one charge of unlawfully assault and thereby did bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation. Police prosecutor Sgt Matt Hartfield told the court Thompson assaulted his 71-year-old mother at her Yakamia address, where he was living with her, on January 18. Thompson began smashing items in his mother’s home, causing a hole in the wall, after she found alcohol under his bed about 2.30pm and told him to leave. He grabbed his mother by the arm and swung her around before she collided with a door, then left her on the ground where she was screaming and crying with a cut to the back of her leg. Thompson was later arrested in a neighbour’s yard. His mother was taken to Albany Health Campus for treatment. Thompson’s defence lawyer Lucy Bourne said her client did not intend to cause his mother harm and did not realise she was hurt despite seeing her fall. Ms Bourne said Thompson was “deeply sorry” for his actions and he knew he should have checked on his mother. Sgt Hartfield said the assault was aggravated by the victim’s elderly age and labelled it “serious offending”. “This matter is so serious that the sentence of last resort has been reached,” he said. “Family domestic violence is rife within the community. “His mum has taken him in, given him a house and because of alcohol, he’s started smashing things up.” Magistrate Erin O’Donnell said a letter from the victim said Thompson was not a nice person when he was under the influence of alcohol and she just wanted her son back. Ms O’Donnell accepted Thompson was not entirely conscious of the harm caused to his mother when he “lashed out”. But she said he had a prior conviction for common assault in 2022 and the point of imprisonment had been reached. “Violence, particularly violence in a family context, ought to be condemned,” Ms O’Donnell said. Thompson was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 10 months.