A MOTHER spent all day in a pub getting drunk then returned home and glassed her 14-year-old son in the face as he watched television.

The 38-year-old from Boscombe also kicked and punched the boy, stamped on his face and rubbed shards of glass into his body, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.

The woman escaped with just a six-month community rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Paul Hester told the court that the attack occurred on the evening of March 1 when the boy was home from school after complaining of feeling ill.

The woman left the house to go shopping and returned late at night when she carried out the "dreadful" attack.

Mr Hester said: "She burst into his bedroom while he was watching television and began to shout and scream abuse at him."

The youngster, who now lives with his father, thought she was drunk and didn't respond as he didn't want to further annoy her, he said.

She then left the boy's bedroom where he could hear items being smashed up outside the door.

Mr Hester added: "A few minutes later she returned to his bedroom and hurled an empty beer glass towards him and he managed to duck out of the way."

The woman then picked up the pieces of glass and rubbed the shards into the boy's face and arm the court heard.

She forced him back onto the bed where there were shards of glass which cut into his back.

Mr Hester said: "The defendant then got hold of her son's hair, dragged him from the bed to the floor and some of his hair came out. She then stamped twice on the left side of his face and then kicked him in the ribs."

The boy then took refuge in a neighbour's house the court heard.

His injuries included small grazes to his back and face, bruise above his left eye and deep laceration of the shoulder blade.

Defending, Keith Kelleher said that the woman remembered little about the events of the evening.

She blamed her actions on swapping to a new type of antidepressant medication.

Judge John Harrow said: "This was a dreadful frightening attack on your son who so far as I can see had done nothing to outrage or provoke you."

A ChildLine spokesman said: "ChildLine hears from around 12,000 children every year who are suffering from serious physical abuse. They tell us that they find it both physically and emotionally painful and the effects can be long-lasting. Although we can't comment on this case we have to ask what message children would pick up from short or suspended sentences handed out to those convicted of child abuse."

The woman in this story has not been named to protect the interests of the child.

What do you think? Should this woman have been jailed for the brutal attack on her young son? You can call our newsdesk on 01202 411294 or email newsdesk@bournemouthecho.co.uk

First published: August 21