'˜Possessed' man punched his mum repeatedly during 'sustained attack'

David Torr punched his mum repeatedly around the head leaving her bleeding profusely.

However, she later spoke up for him pleading for him not to be sent to prison but to be given the help he needed.

Torr, 26, of Conway Avenue, Cleveleys, pleaded guilty to assaulting his mother and possessing cannabis.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks prison, suspended for two years with up to 30 days rehabilitation to be supervised by the probation service and ordered to pay £85 costs with £115 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates

Presiding magistrates, Kevin Maher, said the bench had listened to Torr’s mother’s views and were not sending him to prison immediately.

He told the defendant: “She was a vulnerable victim in her own home.

“It was a sustained attack with multiple blows.”

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, told magistrates Torr’s mother said her son had mental health issues for which he took medication and also learning difficulties.

On October 20, at 5am, Torr’s mother heard loud music coming from her son’s room and he was stomping around.

She went to speak to him but said she could tell from his expression “he appeared possessed and his eyes had evil in them”.

He swung a punch, knocking his mother on to the bed and she retaliated by punching him once in self-defence.

She then described him as “going mad” repeatedly punching her about the head despite her rolling into a ball to try to protect herself.

Torr, who had a criminal record of offences of violence, left his mother with a cut on her forearm and her head.

Cannabis was found on him when he was arrested.

Brett Chappell, defending, said it was an abhorrent offence, for which his client had no excuse and he was devastated because he had hurt his mother.

His mother did not want her son to go to prison because it did not work for him.

She wanted him to get the help he needed for his mental health issues and drink and drug abuse.