Home   News   Article

Inverness man found guilty of attempting to kill his mother was locked up for ANOTHER murder bid when just 16 years old





Thomasina McAskill.
Thomasina McAskill.

A 53-year-old man was warned he could expect "a lengthy prison sentence" after a jury convicted him of attempting to murder his 78-year-old mother in a drunken frenzied attack on New Year's Day last year.

The High Court in Inverness heard that it was the second time Bruce Davis had been found guilty of such a serious offence. As a 16-year-old, he was sent to detention for four years in 1987.

Son deliberately ‘put the life’ of his mother ‘in danger’ say Police Scotland

The jury took just over two hours to declare he tried to murder Thomasina McAskill, known as "Chrissy", at her home at Smithton Villas, Inverness.

Inverness son accused of trying to murder parent says: ‘I‘d never intentionally hurt my mother’

Inverness trial hears mother thought son was ‘hell bent’ on killing her

The five-day trial heard that he repeatedly kicked her on the body, seized her by the hair and restricted her breathing, restrained her, threw household furniture at her, pulled her jumper over her head restricting her breathing, then repeatedly punched her, all to her severe injury, and to the danger of her life and attempted to murder her.

Ms McAskill died in April 2024 but not as a result of the attack but her various statements to police and medical staff were read out to the jury.

The wheelchair-bound pensioner gave them at her home, in an ambulance and in Raigmore Hospital's intensive care unit in the eight days after the attack.

She had been left bloodied and bruised by her son who inflicted fractures to her jaw, leg and ribs.

More court news

Sign up to our free newsletters

Davis claimed he was so drunk, he fell on top of her and that she was confused about what happened.

The Saughton Prison remand prisoner told the court: "I would never intentionally hurt my mother."

Davis added that she had misconstrued him trying to pull her up by a jumper as trying to strangle her when he was only trying to help her after after she had fallen.

But the jury believed the now dead woman, after her statements read to the court included: "I believe he was trying to strangle me. I was terrified.

"I thought he was going to kill me, he seemed hell bent on it."

Ms McAskill pleaded with police officers, who had been called by concerned neighbours, to come in to the house.

Two constables said they saw Davis through the window of the locked terraced house with his arm around his mother's neck.

Davis still had blood on his hands after releasing his chokehold when he went to let the police in. Ms McAskill told them "he hit me" and pointed to her son.

The jury heard that Davis shouted back: "Somebody has phoned the police because they think I have assaulted you."

Ms McAskill replied: "And rightly so because you have."

Davis was taken away and PC Hannah Walton, when questioned by advocate depute Shahid Latif, told the court: "She said ‘he's been punching and kicking me. I hurt everywhere. I always thought I was safe with him, but not any more.’”

PC Rhianne Sutherland was also present as the injured woman spoke. She said: "She told me that her son smashed her head on the floor several times and he tried to strangle her."

Ms McAskill also spoke to paramedic Lesley Sharpe, who had been called to the scene. She said: "Chrissy said her son had lost it and assaulted her."

In hospital some days later, Ms McAskill gave a further detailed statement to DC Kate Finlayson.

During that, Ms McAskill said her son had drank a litre of vodka and she admitted that she had taken some gin, and was on medication including for her lung disorder COPD.

Ms McAskill said that Davis just stood up, threw her to the floor and started kicking her and hitting her with a broken table leg.

"I thought he was going to kill me. He seemed hell bent on it," DC Finlayson read from the statement. "He has never assaulted me before. I couldn't get away from him. I don't want him near me again. I am terrified of him."

After the jury returned its verdict, Mr Latif revealed that Davis had a previous attempted murder conviction.

This prompted defence counsel Graeme Brown to ask Lord Summer not to pronounce sentence immediately but to call for a background report.

He said: "He has never had a prison sentence before as an adult and a report may be useful."

Lord Summers agreed and deferred sentence until November 7 at the High Court in Edinburgh for the report "to get a better insight into your life at the time and how things have worked out after you were remanded.

"But you can anticipate a lengthy custodial sentence."


View our fact sheet on court reporting here




This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More