Roger Phillip McGrath sentenced after Talbingo kidnapping

A man double dosed his medication and drank bourbon before he kidnapped an elderly woman, stuffed her in his car and threw her down a 8m embankment in the Snowy Mountains.

A Talbingo man “just cracked it” when he kidnapped his elderly mother who was using a walker at the time, and pushed her over a cliff in the Snowy Mountains.

Roger Phillip McGrath, 55, appeared via video link at Wagga District Court on Thursday after he earlier pleaded guilty to taking or detaining a person with the intent to commit a serious indictable offence occasioning actual bodily harm, intentionally or recklessly destroy or damage property (domestic violence-related) and driving while licence is suspended.

The court heard that on February 4, after a dispute with his mother, who asked McGrath to find temporary accommodation while she was on holiday with her husband, he became enraged and “stuffed” his mother into the car and drove at speed up Talbingo Mountain where he made threats to kill her.

McGrath’s car stalled while he was driving up the hill, and his mother attempted to escape before he dragged her away from the car and pushed her over guard rail and down the embankment which caused her to fall for 8 metres, the court heard.

Talbingo in the Snowy Mountains NSW, where the elderly woman was taken.

As a result, the 75-year-old woman sustained deep skin tears to her arms and legs, the woman rolled into shrubs which helped break her fall.

The crown submitted the elderly woman now lives in fear of her safety of her son if he is released from prison.

McGrath’s lawyer, Robert Hussey, told the court his client had “poor capacity of emotional self regulation.”

“There has been a build up of grievances between Mr McGrath and his mother, on the day he took a double dosage of his medication and mixed it with bourbon which lead to him just cracking it,” Mr Hussey said.

Mr Hussey also made submissions the walker Mr McGrath’s mother required was only to “assist with symptoms of vertigo not that she was frail.”

Wagga District Court Judge Jon Williams said McGrath was at risk of requiring institutionalisation due to his behaviour.

“What occurred to her on that day must have been extraordinarily frightening,” he said.

“I suggest he needs more help in dealing with his frustrations that cause him to act violently.

“Having an argument with a family member about moving temporarily elsewear that brought things to a boil is an explanation and not an excuse.

“I do find special circumstances and that no other penalty than imprisonment is appropriate.”

McGrath has previously served a nine-year sentence in jail between November 2007 and 2016 for a number of child sex-related offences.

McGrath was convicted and sentenced to three and a half imprisonment, which was backdated to February 4, 2021.

He will be eligible for parole on Feb 3, 2021.