Man who brutally attacked his mother ‘wanted her to suffer’

Joshua Garroch turned on his mother Angela Law at her home in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on March 6 last year.

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A man who brutally attacked his mother and vowed to “make her suffer” has been jailed for four and a half years.

Joshua Garroch turned on Angela Law at her home in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on March 6 last year.

The 23-year-old initially struck while Ms Law was on a video call to her sister.

A judge heard how the attacks included Garroch trying to smother his mum.

On Wednesday, Garroch returned to the dock having earlier pled guilty to assaulting Ms Law to her injury and danger of life.

She was at the High Court in Glasgow to see her son sentenced.

His lawyer told how the pair were “anxious” to try and repair the situation between them.

Lady Stacey told Garroch: “I know that your mum is present. She is here to support you and you are fortunate in that.

“The relationship between you and her has been fraught. Your upbringing was not the best in life.

“The age you are now, you have been going off the rails for years and it is time that you stopped.

“You are going into proper adulthood now, so enough.”

Garroch will also be supervised for a further year on his release.

Prosecutor Sheena Fraser last month told how a row was sparked over a mobile phone.

Ms Law went on to video call her sister in Manchester.

Ms Fraser said: “During this conversation, Garroch assaulted his mother by grabbing her by the hair and dragging her to the floor.

“He then repeatedly kicked her on the face and body as she screamed at him to stop.”

Ms Law’s shocked sister heard the attack and called police in Manchester, who alerted colleagues in Scotland.

When officers turned up, however, no complaint was made.

But later that night, Ms Law telephoned police while her “angry” son could be heard in the background.

Ms Fraser said: “Once the call ended, Garroch again assaulted his mother by taking a pillow and pushing it in her face causing her to struggle to breathe.”

Police again arrived and found Ms Law with a black eye and swollen face. She told how her son was responsible.

After being held, he blurted out: “Wish I had kept stamping on that tramp’s head.

“She is lucky she did not get double stomped. F*****g wish I had held a pillow over her head. I will murder her and make her suffer.”

He was later granted bail by a sheriff, but in October last year he flouted the order by returning to his mum’s.

On one occasion, Ms Law said she loved her son, but admitted she was also “scared” of him.

Garroch replied: “You are lucky because next time I am going to put you in the bath, cut you up and dissolve you.”

A distressed Ms Law ran out of her house and called police for help.

Garroch also admitted last month to breaching bail as well as behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.

Geoffrey Forbes, defending, said: “He is anxious to repair the relationship with his mum when he is released.

“She is also anxious to do that.”

Lady Stacey said the jail term would have been six years, but for the guilty pleas.

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