A thug who stormed into his own mother’s home and assaulted her while wearing a balaclava has been locked up.

Connor Pearson’s dysfunctional relationship with his mother came to a head when he launched his violent attack on her, leaving her covered in bumps and bruises.

The 20-year-old kicked his mother several times before ripping a door off its hinges to continue his attack on her.

Teesside Crown Court heard the defendant also threatened to burn down his mother's home.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said: “He followed her into the kitchen shouting ‘I will stab you’, she tried to close the door while the defendant was trying to pull it open and as a result the door was pulled off its hinges.

“The defendant entered the kitchen and continued the assault by pushing and dragging her around until her partner came down and the defendant ran at him allowing his mother to run into the street.”

Mr Dryden said Pearson fled the scene but later on the same day phoned his mother when he threatened to pour turpentine through her letterbox and set her house on fire.

Pearson, of Collingwood Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and threats to cause criminal damage following his behaviour on April 6 this year.

Ellen Wright, mitigating, said her client had a troubled childhood, had a very difficult relationship with his mother and started taking drugs at an early age.

She added: “Custody has been extremely difficult for Mr Pearson, he has struggled in the custodial environment and staff consider him to very vulnerable and potentially subject to exploitation.”

Judge Francis Laird KC sentenced the young man to a ten-month spell in a young offenders’ institute.

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“She saw someone wearing a balaclava enter her home, the person ran towards her and began to kick her to her legs delivering five kicks and a further kick to her arm.

“That person began screaming at her and she immediately recognised your voice. During the course of a scuffle, your face became uncovered and she, of course, instantly recognised you,” he said.

“You threatened to pour turps through her letterbox and set fire to her house. Whether that was an idle threat that would never be carried out, this court cannot determine, but it must have been very troubling to your mother in the aftermath of the assault.”

Pearson was also made subject of a three-year restraining order.