A man has admitted throwing a kettle full of boiling water over his mum.
Grant Wappler, who appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday, blamed the break-up of a long-term relationship for a catalogue of attacks on his mother.
The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to several charges of assault involving his mother and an additional charge of breaching a court condition not to contact her.
Fiscal Lucy Simpson described how Wappler had attacked her within the family living room in January by seizing her by the neck before pushing her onto a couch.
She said Wappler had told his mother he was “in a bad mood” and became violent, shouting at her.
She said: “He grabbed her by the throat and pushed her onto the sofa there. The defendant then left the living room and went to his own room.
“During the morning of February 7, the accused and the complainer were at home and there were some disagreements between them.
“The complainer became frightened of the accused due to his behaviour and in an attempt to get distance from him she entered the kitchen.
“She had boiled the kettle in order to have a cup of tea and a short time later the accused entered the kitchen and picked up the kettle, which contained the boiling water, and threw it towards the complainer causing it to strike her on her right leg.”
The victim was hit by scalding water from the kettle and left with “reddening” and “soreness” to her leg.
The police arrested Wappler on February 11 but released him on an undertaking on the understanding he did not approach or contact his mother.
He breached the order five days later by calling his mother and Wappler, of Stonefield place, Inverurie, was rearrested by police.
His lawyer, Bruce Macdonald, told the court that Wappler had taken the breakdown of a long-term relationship “very badly” and that he had “nothing against his mum, as such”.
Granting Wappler bail, Sheriff Margaret Hodge said any fine imposed on Wappler would “just be a sticking plaster”, adding that she “didn’t understand the reasons for these highly unpleasant and violent offences”.
She continued the matter in order to obtain a criminal justice social work report.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.
