WATERFORD MAN TO BE SENTENCED TODAY
A 47-year-old Waterford man will be sentenced today for attempting to murder his elderly mother in a nursing home.
Gerald Vollrath of Tramore Heights, Tramore, held a pillow over his mother Veronica’s face while keeping vigil at her bedside in January 2012.
He was charged with murder after he admitted holding a pillow over his mother Veronica’s face while keeping a bedside vigil at Killure Bridge Nursing Home.
However the court heard she may already have been dead as a post mortem found no sign the 83 year old had suffocated.
The murder charge was dropped when Vollrath pleaded to attempted murder.
Gardai believe Gerald Vollrath’s only concern was his mother’s suffering.
He had been called to come to Ireland from his home in Austria in January 2012 to be with his mother in her final hours.
He was found out because he told a niece what he had done.
Mr Justice Paul Carney said that this was the first time he had encountered anything of this nature in 50 years. He will pass sentence today.
