A MOTHER has told a murder jury how her son seemed "deeply disturbed" in the time leading up to him strangling and robbing a retired teacher in his home.

Julie Campbell said he was "more upset than she had ever seen him before" because of an encounter that rekindled memories of his father's death.

Ryan Campbell, 30, from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, is on trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of murdering George Francis Kidson, 85, last November.

Mr Kidson - who had allowed his homeless killer to stay with him from time to time - died four days after being throttled and suffering brain damage.

A jury has heard that jobless plasterer Campbell admits causing his injuries and his death, but denies murder and claims what happened was an accident.

On the day of the attack, Campbell told his mother he had seen the man the family blames for the death of Campbell's father in an industrial accident 20 years ago.

At her Thirsk home, he armed himself with a knife and told the mother-of-four "I'm going to get the c***" but he was easily disarmed, and left.

Little more than an hour later, he sneaked into Mr Kidson's home, attacked and choked him, and stolen some of his jewellery, the court was told.

Before giving evidence, Mrs Campbell told the jury: "It's difficult for me to be here today, being Ryan's mam, but I'm here in support of Ryan."

She said he had "really traumatic tears" and was in "a really horrible state" as he told of his meeting with a dumper truck driver who crushed his father.

Mrs Campbell told how he left the family home, but she later received a phone call from him in which he said: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

She later learned her alcohol-dependent son had choked bachelor Mr Kidson - in an attack described as "cowardly and violent" by prosecutors.

She told the jury that she was aware of a relationship or friendship between the two men, but was unaware of its nature.

But she said she had concerns when her son was given a bracelet for his 21st birthday by the pensioner, and had heard rumours of his liking for young men.

Campbell, who is described as homeless but has an address on court papers in Racecourse Mews, Thirsk, denies murder and faces a trial expected to last seven days.

The trial continues.