Man who beat mom, 70, when she changed TV channel gets jail

EASTON, Pa. – A Pennsylvania man who became so enraged when his 70-year-old mother changed the TV channel that he beat and choked her has been sentenced to 11 to 23 months in jail.

Northampton County prosecutors tell The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown that 42-year-old David Cantrell was upset about missing “Cool Runnings,” a comedy about a Jamaican bobsled team.

Wednesday’s minimum sentence was four months longer than prosecutors and defence attorneys sought because the judge expressed concerns Cantrell wasn’t remorseful. Cantrell also will spend six years on probation.

Attorneys say Cantrell’s mother now lives in a nursing home and suffers from dementia but still wants to have contact with him.

The Moore Township man acknowledges punching his mother in the mouth and body slamming her before choking her on Jan. 22 while telling her, “I hope you die.”

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This story has been corrected to show the mother was 70, not 72.

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Information from: The Morning Call, http://www.mcall.com