An Okanagan man accused of trying to murder his elderly mother has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge he had been facing.
In B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna on Tuesday morning, Kevin Barrett of West Kelowna made the surprise plea to aggravated assault.
Barrett had been charged with the attempted murder of his mother, Eleanor Holmes, in April 2019.
The plea came just before his mother was called to testify against him.
He had been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Police arrested Barrett just hours after the 2019 incident.
Holmes was rescued by two passersby, with court hearing in earlier testimony that the victim was found covered with blood.
Barrett was found at Holmes’ West Kelowna home in Westview Village Mobile Home Park.
Court heard on Tuesday that Holmes let Barrett stay with her in her one-bedroom home to stop her son from being homeless.
Crown counsel had accused Barrett of beating Holmes, 79, then driving her up a forest service road in the Central Okanagan, rolling her over an embankment and leaving her for dead.
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