Grandma in court: Woman claims she killed grandson in self defense

Sandra Layne, the 75-year-old grandmother accused of killing her teenage grandson last May, said she shot him because she feared for her life.

The Christian Post reports the grandmother spoke in a soft and timid voice while giving her testimony in court Wednesday where she told the jury she had shot 17-year-old Jonathan Hoffman in self defense.

Layne, who reportedly lived in her suburban Detroit home with her grandson while his parents lived in Arizona, killed the teenage boy by repeatedly shooting him on May 18, 2012 in West Bloomfield Township.

Reports state Layne shot Hoffman a total of five times hitting the boy's stomach, chest and left arm. Allegedly, she even shot him as he was calling 911 for help. "My grandma, my grandma shot me," he can be heard telling the operator in the call.

During her testimony, Layne turned her chair toward the jury and told them she "adored" her grandson, and loves him still.

According to her lawyers, Layne feared for her life as her grandson was acting erratically at the time of the incident. They pointed out he regularly used synthetic marijuana.

You can hear the 911 tape and a news report about the incident prior to the trial in the video below.