A 47-year-old Waterford man has received a 3 years suspended sentence 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.

The Central Criminal Court heard the 83 year old may already have been dead as the post mortem found no signs of suffocation.

Passing sentence Mr Justice Paul Carney took into consideration that the motivation for the crime was entirely compassionate and in no way malevolent.

Outside court Gerald Vollrath's solicitor Ken Cunningham made a statement on behalf of his client: