A Crown attorney is drawing attention to what she says is a troubling trend of violence against the elderly by their own grandchildren.

Senior prosecutor Kathleen O’Reilly raised the issue this week during the sentencing hearing for a man convicted of manslaughter in the death of his grandmother.

Eighty-two-year-old Mildred Brake had been housing her troubled grandson, Brandon Tobin, but was ultimately killed by him while he was in a drug-induced stupor.

O’Reilly noted it was the third homicide involving that kind of relationship in the past few years.

Two other cases were even more egregious, proceeding as premeditated, first-degree murder. Sentencing is pending for a Mount Pearl teenager in the stabbing and drowning of his 65-year-old grandmother, and for Justin Campbell of Deer Lake, convicted of smothering 69-year-old Eva Banfield, and stealing her money for crack cocaine.

While the circumstances of each case are very sad and unique, they all centre around the disposal of a nan’s unconditional love, and efforts to help grandchildren in the throes of drug addiction and or mental illness.

In her submissions before Supreme Court Justice Peter O’Flaherty this week, O’Reilly said it’s part of a concerning pattern she’s witnessing in the province.

Said O’Reilly: “This trend is really, really troubling.”