Son punched, strangled and threatened his mum
PETRIFIED VICTIM ‘FEELS UNSAFE IN OWN HOME’
A SHAMEFUL son who punched, strangled, bit and threatened to kill his mother while swinging a knife towards her has been jailed.
John Mclaughlin twice turned violent, leaving his mum in pain and a “nervous wreck”.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that, on February 21, Mclaughlin was at his mother’s home with his girlfriend, having a few drinks to celebrate his birthday when trouble suddenly flared.
Joe Culley, prosecuting, said: “The mood changed when his brother was mentioned. It appears there’s no love lost between them. He suddenly flipped and began punching objects in the house. He was abusive to his mum, saying ‘get your f ****** son here because I’m going to kill him’ and ‘if you don’t get him here you’re going to get it.’”
Mr Culley said the victim wanted him out but was too frightened to go upstairs to call the police. He added: “The defendant had picked up a 30cm kitchen knife and swung it towards her, shouting ‘I’m going to kill you, you’re going to get it.’
“She wrestled with him and took the knife from him. She tried to leave but was pushed to the floor by him and he began strangling her, using lots of force. She feared for her safety and kicked out. He stopped because she was bleeding.”
Mclaughlin, 22, and his partner then left, leaving his mum a “nervous wreck”, the court heard. On March 11 he turned up again, this time with a friend his mum didn’t know. Mclaughlin was described as being “agitated and in a rage” and began arguing with the friend.
He picked up a knife and made stabbing motions and his mum tried to disarm him. Mr Culley said: “She was pushed to the ground and suffered pain to the lower back. The defendant took a fork and continued to attack his friend.”
As his mum sought to help the victim, he punched her numerous times to the ribs, causing pain. She then offered to try to ring his girlfriend but instead rang police.
When she refused to give him the phone, he bit her left shoulder and back area and told her he would take a chunk from her back. A pot of paint was also spilled and trodden into the floor.
His mum was left in pain and said in a victim statement: “I’m petrified. I feel unsafe in my own home and feel I need to move because of him.”
The court heard Mclaughlin, of Laurel Street, Wallsend, has 34 previous convictions and was on a suspended sentence at the time for burglary. He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray and was jailed for 16 months.
Jonathan Cousins, defending, said Mclaughlin “lacks maturity”, had a difficult upbringing, witnessed domestic violence, spent time in care and has ADHD and a history of substance misuse. He told the court: “He knows he has behaved entirely disgracefully. There’s a better side to his character as set out in a letter by his mother. He is distraught he has harmed one of the most important people in his life and someone he loves. He is devastated.”