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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Geoffrey Bennett

Son banned from seeing own mother after bloody attack with knuckle duster

A son has been ordered to have no contact with his mum after "going crazy" and trashing her flat.

Ben Walsh was allowed to stay at the one-bedroom property on condition he didn't have friends back.

But Bristol Crown Court heard that, after a night out, he returned with a pal at 5am.

After being told to leave Walsh assaulted his mum's boyfriend, armed himself with a knuckle duster and wrecked the place - braking his hand in the process.

The court was told he then left armed with a knife, saying he would be back.

Walsh, 22, of Graham Road in Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to assault, possessing a knife and criminal damage.

Judge Michael Longman handed him five months' prison, suspended for two years.

He told Walsh: "You lost it, in the words of your barrister.

"You went crazy.

"You had consumed alcohol and drugs."

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Walsh was made the subject of a restraining order banning him from all contact with his mum for a year.

He was told to abide by a four-month curfew, in which he must be at home from 8pm to 5pm, and undergo 20 days of rehabilitation.

His knuckle duster was forfeited.

Neil Treharne, prosecuting, said when Walsh and his pal were told to leave the flat, Walsh "flipped" and started punching his mum's partner, Harry Scarrott.

Mr Treharne said: "The defendant was acting like a madman, he was going crazy.

"His mum pushed Harry into the bathroom and he kept his feet on the bathroom door to stop the defendant going in.

"She had her back to the bathroom door and the defendant punched the bathroom door and tried to get through it."

The court heard Walsh then smashed a TV, picked up a knuckle duster and smashed a mirror, CDs, ornaments, lamps and candles.

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Mr Treharne said: "He then started on the washing machine.

"There was blood everywhere as he cut himself.

"He was just going between the living room and the hallway doing this.

"He then went into the kitchen, went to the cutlery drawer and a knife out which was six to eight inches long.

"He tried to get back into the bathroom and was making stabbing motions with it."

With that Walsh left with the knife and went onto Shelley Road, Mr Treharne said.

Police called in spotted him with the blade but by the time he was arrested he had thrown it away.

Sam Jones, defending, said some personal bad news had prompted his client to go out and take drugs before the encounter at he flat boiled over.

Mr Jones said: "He demonstrates remorse for his actions.

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"He lost it, for the want of a better expression."

Mr Jones said Walsh was working to deal with drugs issues and had been offered a job.

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