'All she did was try to help' - siblings testify that brother accused of killing their mother was abusive to her and once broke her jaw

"The accused's sister, Sharon, said her mother called her and told her Billy was "psychotic" before she was found dead His younger bother Shane said he lived in fear of Billy and often saw his mother with bruises"

"A man told gardaí, "I didn't kill the b***h", when they put an allegation to him that he had killed his 75-year-old mother, a Central Criminal Court jury heard this afternoon. The jury also heard that the accused man, Billy Burns (55), broke his mother Miriam Burns's jaw in 1993 and often verbally abused her over the years."

A 75-year-old woman, Miriam Burns, was found dead and family members described a history of fear and abuse. Sharon, the accused's sister, said their mother called saying Billy was "psychotic" before she was found dead. Younger brother Shane said he lived in fear of Billy and frequently saw their mother with bruises. When gardaí put an allegation to the accused, he responded, "I didn't kill the b***h." The accused, Billy Burns (55), has a documented history of violence, including breaking his mother's jaw in 1993 and repeated verbal abuse over the years.

Read at Independent