Drunken bully jailed after assaulting his elderly mother and burning her with heated fork

Damian Southern, 44, was found guilty of controlling or coercive behaviour and assault and has been given indefinite restraining order banning him from contact from his mother.

Bradford Crown Court heard Southern would drink alcohol “from morning till night” and entertained himself by watching YouTube videos.

Abdul Shakoor, prosecuting, said they were arguing in the kitchen when Southern moved towards his mum with the fork which he had heated on the gas hob.

She put her arm up to protect herself and the fork burned her on her wrist.

In 2017, alcoholic Damian Southern had been given a suspended prison sentence for two offences of common assault against his mum and a restraining order banned him from seeing her.

But in April 2019, Southern moved back into his mum’s Brighouse home after the order expired and a judge said Southern began to make her life a misery over the next two years.

Three months later after another common assault in the living room, which Southern admitted, the complainant contacted her daughter and the police arrested him.

When she gave evidence at her son’s trial, Southern's mother described him as “a bully”.

Southern's solicitor advocate John Bottomley explained that Southern had started drinking heavily following the death of his father in 2011.

He said drink had cost Southern his friends and employment and the only person in his life was his mother and he accepted that he had abused that relationship.

Mr Bottomley said Southern had not taken alcohol since being remanded in custody in April and he realised that his physical health was suffering and his mental health was being affected.

Judge Neil Davey, QC, said: “All these three offences are made the more serious because they were all committed under the influence of alcohol and because they were not the first time that you had offended against your mother.

“It is plain to see, and you know as well as anybody, that alcohol and it’s excessive misuse is at the root of all your problems and at the root of all your offending."