A bullying thug who dragged his mum from her bed and smashed her head against a wall has been jailed for 18 months. Daniel Colebourne, 27, was also given a restraining order barring him from having any contact with heartbroken Margaret in future.
Margaret, who had been the target of her son's brutality previously, had been living in fear of his temper, the Liverpool Echo reported. She told police she felt like she was "walking on eggshells" around him.
In a statement read to Liverpool Crown Court, she said: "I do not want him to come near me ever again." Judge David Swinnerton imposed a five-year restraining order banning Colebourne from contacting her.
The court heard Margaret was left black and blue by the vicious attack on April 4 at the home she shared with her son in Bootle. He became violent when she ignored him shouting to get her attention.
Derek Jones, prosecuting, said: “He went into her bedroom and slapped her very hard on the right arm. At the time he was not angry, he was laughing. She said, ‘What did you do that for? It hurt.' He said, ‘I was only joking.'"
Mr Jones said Margaret was on blood thinners and her son knew this would make her bruise easily. Despite this, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of her bed. She tried to get her phone to call the police but he retaliated brutally.
Mr Jones said: “The defendant realised what she was trying to do and came back into the room and smashed her head against the wall twice, causing her to start bleeding.” Margaret was left with an 8cm wound on her head and extensive bruising. Her screams were so loud neighbours called the police.
Colebourne himself called an ambulance and tried to claim the wounds were caused by an accident, but he later admitted wounding and criminal damage. He has multiple previous convictions, including drug driving, battery against his mum and criminal damage against an ex-partner.
Paul Becker, defending, said Colebourne was deeply remorseful and ashamed of what he had done. He said: “There is clearly an anger problem which Daniel Colebourne has towards his mother.”
Mr Becker said Colebourne suffered from anxiety and depression and was in a precarious mental state at the time because of the death of his grandfather. Colebourne himself apologised during the hearing but also tried to question some of the facts heard in court.
Judge Swinnerton told him he had left his mother “black and blue” and rejected calls for a suspended sentence, saying he had been given chances before. He added: “You, Mr Colebourne, are a man who cannot control his temper and who is a risk to those who are close to or around you in domestic settings.”
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