Topsfield man pleads guilty to manslaughter of mother

SALEM – A Topsfield man with a history of alcoholism who verbally and physically abused his elderly mother, pleaded guilty today in Salem Superior Court to involuntary manslaughter, according to a press release from District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office.Judge Timothy Feeley sentenced Robert Friberg, 46, of 44 Grant Hill Drive, to 2-2? years in state prison. Friberg also pleaded guilty to assault and battery on an elderly person, and intimidation of a witness, as well as assault battery by means of a dangerous weapon on a person 60 years of age or older. For those offenses he will be on probation for seven years upon his release.Essex Assistant District Attorney Melissa Woodard had urged the judge to impose a seven to 10-year state prison sentence.She told the court that on March 20, 2009, the victim, who suffered from high blood pressure, arrived home from work.Upon her arrival, Robert Friberg, who lived with her, demanded that she go to a local pharmacy to pick up his pain medication.When she refused, Friberg became very angry and grabbed his mother, put his fist in her face and profanely and repeatedly yelled at her, according to the press release.In fear, she went to the kitchen to call police, where her and her son began struggling with the telephone. He eventually overpowered her and struck her in the arm with the phone, causing two large bruises.His blood alcohol level at the time of the incident was three times the legal limitA short time after police arrived, the elderly woman began dry heaving and complained of difficulty breathing and back pain. She also had numbness in her right leg. She was transported to Beverly Hospital, and then to Boston Medical Center, where she died the next day.An autopsy revealed that her aorta had ruptured as the result of high blood pressure, spiked by the stressful incident with her son, according to the press release.