A HOMELESS man who attacked his mother when she refused to let him stay the night has been spared jail.

Shaun O’Connor had repeatedly shown up to her Darlington home on July 13 and shouted for her to let him in - despite being asked to leave several times, Newton Aycliffe magistrates heard.

Joanne Hesse, prosecuting, said at 11.30pm, she went out to check the 32-year-old had left and found him hiding. He told her he had nowhere to go and needed food.

“She took pity on him, invited him in and made him some food but when she told him to go he would not and said he would sleep on a sun lounger,” she said.

When she refused, Mrs Hesse said O’Connor got some thick tape and said he was going to kill himself before approaching his mother and wrapping it around her head, nose and mouth.

His mother managed to pull it off and call police believing he had fled.

However, she later found him behind the sofa and told him the police were coming but he went upstairs and lay on her bed.

Rory Todd, mitigating, said O'Connor had mental health and drug issues and suffered from bipolar disorder and had been “quite ill that day” as he had not taken his medication and had never hurt his mother before.

Magistrate, Sian Allen-Gilbert, gave O’Connor a community order with rehabilitation. He was also fined £295 and a restraining order was granted banning him for visiting his mother’s home for three months.