The trial, which had been scheduled for seven days, was stopped after Beale entered a guilty plea. Earlier in the morning, Beale had maintained that he only remembered hooking his mother once to the left side of her face and that he was suffering a mental breakdown at the time.
Crown prosecutor Chris Howard questioned Beale about whether he was being selective in what he remembered, suggesting he was trying to minimise his actions. Beale replied: "Nah, I was in a mental breakdown, don't remember half the things."
Beale told the court that he was the youngest of five siblings, left school at 13, and was illiterate. After leaving school, he said he did nothing and, because of those issues, lived on a sickness benefit and began smoking cannabis.
The case has drawn local attention as a tragic instance of family violence involving an elderly victim. Sentencing is expected to follow in due course.