A THUG who beat up his mother in Amblecote has been jailed for 21 months.

John Ward punched his 53-year-old mother, Beverley in the face and spat at her before dragging her around by her hair, said David Lees, prosecuting.

He told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Ward, aged 34, from Kidderminster, had been drinking heavily and also threatened to cause her a "slow and painful" death.

Mr Lees said Ward had arranged to spend time with his mother and after she collected him from his Wood Street home, they spent time in a nearby public house.

But Ward then became aggressive and without warning, pushed his mother into a chair and when he asked if she was scared he told her, "I am in charge now”.

He then picked up garden furniture, which he threw at his mother, striking her on the arm and when she pleaded with him to stop he spat in her face, punched her in the eye and kicked her in the leg.

Mr Lees told the court that Ward then said, "You know I am going to kill you tonight".

The attack on Mrs Ward only came to a halt when a family member saw the defendant assaulting his mother and after police had been called to the scene he was arrested by officers using a taser.

But he continued to be abusive and kicked out and spat at a police officer, said Mr Lees.

Ward admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and also assaulting the police officer and was told by Judge Michael Dudley that only an immediate prison sentence was appropriate for the offences.

Gurdeep Garcha, defending, said: "It is hard to imagine a more unpleasant case. He realises just how disgraceful his behaviour was because this was an attack on the woman who brought him into the world."

Ward told the judge before being sentenced: "For 15 years I have been battling alcoholism. I have been around the country doing all manner of jobs.

“I have lost it all and I know it is all down to me. I want to be able to walk down the street with honour."