A judge has sentenced a Gloucester County woman to five years in prison for beating her mother to death with a broomstick two years ago.
Loretta A. Barr, 67, of Washington Township, was accused of striking 80-year-old Florence Dicriscio multiple times during an Aug. 6, 2022, dispute at the apartment they shared.
The older woman told police her daughter beat her up and locked her out of their apartment, while Barr's attorney claimed during a hearing in 2022 that his client acted in self-defense after Dicriscio attacked her.
The extent of the mother's injuries weren't immediately apparent until she was taken to a hospital, where doctors found she was suffering from a brain bleed, broken ribs and compacted vertebrae, according to court documents.
She died in a hospital three days after the incident and an autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma to the head and chest, authorities said.
Barr's attorney argued in 2022 that his client's mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease and dementia, was prone to violence, and the family could not afford to place her in a nursing facility, leaving Barr as her sole caregiver.
On the night of the incident, Dicriscio assaulted her daughter, then fell and banged her head on the floor, the attorney alleged.
The prosecution pointed to Barr's prior convictions for weapons possession and domestic violence contempt charges and two prior restraining orders signed against her several years ago as proof that she posed a danger to others.
Barr was indicted on charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, but agreed to plead guilty to an amended charge of second-degree reckless manslaughter.
The weapons charge was dismissed as part of the plea deal, under which prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of five to seven years.
During an Aug. 30 hearing, Superior Court Judge William Ziegler sentenced Barr to five years in prison with a requirement that she serve 85% of that time before she's eligible for parole. She was also sentenced to three years of parole supervision after her release.