Court hears son attacked his mum
A SON subjected his mother to months of verbal and physical attacks after moving in with her, a court has heard.
Rhys Williams banned his mother from seeing her friends, routinely assaulted and abused her, smashed up her possessions, and threw food around the house.
Sending the 28-year-old to prison, a judge said he had “terrorised” his mum and there had been little sign of the deeply-held religious beliefs the council worker claimed to hold in his conduct.
Swansea Crown Court heard that in 2019 Williams moved out of his flat and went to live back in with his mother in her Neath house.
Craig Jones, prosecuting, said the defendant’s behaviour became “increasingly erratic and unpleasant” towards his mum – conduct which coincided with Williams’ increasing use of cannabis. He said Williams began ordering his mother around, telling her when she could speak, and banning her from meeting friends or going to play bowls.
The barrister said the defendant would throw food and drink at his mum as well as around different rooms of the property, smash possession such as lamps, pictures, and a laptop computer, and use a knife to stab or slash items. After making a mess in the house he would insist she cleaned it up.
The court heard on one occasion the defendant snapped a mop handle and attacked his mother with it. In another incident he held a bread knife to his mother’s throat.
It was after this last incident, which happened in August last year, that the woman went to police.
The prosecutor said Williams was arrested and questioned and gave a no comment interview to officers “save to assert that he loved his mother”.
Williams, of Briton Ferry Road, Neath, pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour between January and August 2020. He has previous convictions for criminal damage.
Ieuan Bennett, for Williams, said the former Royal Navy sailor and chef – who was working for a local council at the time of the offending – had been suffering with depression and his behaviour towards his mother started going “from bad to worse” at the same time he began to consume cannabis.
The barrister added that Williams has a “deeply-held and it seems genuine religious commitment” which the defendant felt was not properly reflected in the pre-sentence report prepared for the court.
Recorder Malcolm Gibney told Williams he had “terrorised your mother in her own home” and subjected her to behaviour no parent should have to experience.
Giving the defendant a 10% discount for his late guilty plea the recorder sentenced him to three years in prison. Williams will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence.
DOWNING Street has spent more than £2.6m on renovations in order to hold White House-style press briefings, it has emerged.
The cost of the refurbishments for the televised question and answer sessions with journalists was revealed as Boris Johnson faces pressure over the funding of a separate revamp to his official residence.
Labour questioned the Prime Minister’s priorities for shelling out millions on “vanity projects” while “picking the pockets” of NHS workers, amid growing anger at the UK Government proposing a pay rise for health staff of just 1%.
An extensive overhaul within No 9 Downing Street began last year as the Government announced the plans to hold the televised briefings, with their launch long delayed during the coronavirus pandemic.
In response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, the Cabinet Office on Friday issued a breakdown of the costs totalling £2,607,767.67, largely excluding VAT.
The department said funds have been spent to allow daily broadcasting by various news organisations within the Grade I listed building.
“This will necessarily require one-off capital works, including audio-visual equipment, internet infrastructure, electrical works and lighting,” the response said.
“This spending is in the public interest as the new broadcasting of lobby briefings will increase public accountability and transparency about the work of this Government now and in the future. Such spending on maintenance and technical facilities reflects that 9 Downing Street (the Privy Council Office) is a Grade I listed building.”
Opposition MPs seized on the figure to criticise the UK Government’s recommendation of a 1% pay rise for NHS workers despite the unprecedented pressure they suffered during the coronavirus pandemic.
As nurses considered taking industrial action, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “It would take around 100 years for a newly qualified nurse to get paid this kind of money.
“It sums up Boris Johnson’s warped priorities that he can find millions for vanity projects, while picking the pockets of NHS workers.”
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper added: “This is nothing more than an expensive vanity project and is just more evidence that this Government’s priority is spin, not substance. The Prime Minister himself said that he ‘owed his life’ to Covid doctors and nurses but now he’s happy to see front-line nurses take a real-terms pay cut, whilst he gets a flashy new TV studio – the Prime Minister should hang his head in shame.”
The disclosure came as the Prime Minister faces pressure over the refurbishment of his official flat above No 11 overseen by his fiancee, Carrie Symonds.
Downing Street refused to deny that Mr Johnson is considering setting up a charity to pay for the works to the flat.
The move raised concerns of possible conflicts of interest, offering a potential backdoor to providing a financial benefit to the Prime Minister.
The televised briefings were said to be the brainchild of Mr Johnson’s former adviser Lee Cain. But he reportedly disagreed with Mr Johnson’s choice of former journalist Allegra Stratton as press secretary to lead the briefings as a Government spokeswoman.