A son accused of beating his 79-year-old mother to death was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Seoul Northern District Court ruled on Wednesday.

The 49-year-old defendant reportedly punched the victim in the face several times at their apartment in Gangbuk-gu, northern Seoul, on July 7, after his mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, kept refusing to let him help put her clothes on.

The court said “the crime is so serious taking into consideration its method and nature” that “severe punishment is inevitable.”

The ruling, however, found that there were extenuating circumstances, adding that “the defendant chose caring his ailing mother for years over his personal career” and that the crime was unplanned and “occurred under extreme stress.”

The victim died a few hours later from subdural brain hemorrhages, the court revealed.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)