Man convicted of murdering mum in Kilmarnock by setting her on fire

A man has been convicted of murdering his 71-year-old mother by dousing her in petrol and setting her on fire.

Former off-shore worker William Kelly, 42, shouted “die, die” as his mother Cathy Kelly was engulfed in flames.

He is now facing a life sentence.

Minutes earlier Kelly had violently punched and kicked his mother leaving her lying face down on the living room floor.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that Kelly broke off from the brutal assault to take a phone call which he answered in a silly voice claiming to be a worker in an Indian restaurant.

After finishing the call Kelly went back and further assaulted his defenceless mother – who always referred to him as 'ma boy.'

Throughout his trial Kelly denied murdeing mother at the home they shared at Kilmaurs Road, Kilmarnock, on February 11. He said he had never hit his mother and claimed she had been set on fire by accident.

He told the court he was cleaning a car part in the garage and spilt petrol on his trousers and trainers. Kelly claimed that as he bent over his mother as she lay on the living room floor he lit a cigarette and there was a blue flash.

But the jury heard that there was no trail of petrol from the garage into the living room. They were also told by a fire expert that if the fire had happened as Kelly claimed he would have been much more badly injured.

Yesterday after deliberating for 90 minutes the jury unanimously convicted Kelly of murdering his mother.

He showed no emotion as he was led away to the cells.

Judge Lady Stacey deferred sentence on Kelly until January 10, next year, in order to obtain background reports. At this hearing she will determine the minimum number of years he must serve in jail.

She told the jurors: “What you have had to listen to has been distressing and sad.”

The court heard that Kelly was raging because his mother had embarrassed him at a 21st birthday party by drinking too much. He ordered his mother and his then partner Eleanor Banks to leave and called a taxi.

When they returned home around 11pm he dragged his mother by the arms into the house after she fell as she got out the taxi.

Kelly then punched and kicked the helpless OAP on the head and body in the living room of their home.

Mrs Banks, 44, told prosecutor Ashley Edwards QC: “William was emptying a petrol can onto his mum – all over her – and I couldn't stop him.

“I was standing screaming 'You're going to kill your mum' and he was saying 'die' The liquid smelled like petrol.

“He went down and he set fire at the bottom of her legs.

“She just went up like an inferno. I've never seen anything like it. In the blink of an eye she was on fire.”

A pathologist said that Cathy suffered bruising, broken ribs and second degree burns to 45 per cent to her body. She also had a cut to her tongue and bruised lips.

Forensic scientists revealed that the top Cathy was wearing that night was saturated in petrol.

Jurors heard that Cathy was recovering from a brain haemorrhage which she suffered in December 2016 and it was alleged that this was caused by beatings inflicted by violent Kelly.

Heartless Kelly even boasted in a text sent in early December 2016 of wanting to give his mother “two black eyes for Christmas.”

When Kelly was in the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow being treated for burns he confessed to a nurse who was treating him saying: “I did what I had to do. I was provoked. She got what she deserved.”

Kelly's sister Mrs Catherine Cree, 53, a deputy charge nurse at Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock, told the court in March or April 2016 her brother became angry and annoyed with their mother after she allowed someone into the house to look at pigeons kept in the back garden.

She said: “He bawled and shouted at her a lot. My mum was reduced to tears. He couldn't talk things through with her. He just shouted at her. That was William's way most of the time if he was angry.”

Mrs Cree was estranged from her mother in the last nine months of her life after a row over Poppy the dog and was disinherited by her. Previously they had had a close and loving relationship.