A WOMAN who hit her young son so hard with a shoe that it left an imprint in his back has appeared in court.

The mum-of-four pleaded guilty to assaulting the boy, 11, at the former family home in Birkby in November last year.

But the woman, who now lives in Manchester, was given a conditional discharge after Huddersfield magistrates yesterday heard how she had lost her temper as she struggled with life as a single mother.

Vanessa Schofield, prosecuting, said that the 30-year-old discovered on November 22 that her son had stolen items from a pharmacy. Ms Schofield said that the boy had been scared and gone to a friend’s house but his mother confronted him when he returned.

She said: “When he went home she hit him with a flip- flop. He says that his grandma held him while his mother hit him.

“She hit him five times with the shoe, causing extensive bruising to the back in the shape of a shoe.”

The next day the boy went to school.

Ms Schofield said: “He was in pain and seen by staff. They said they were shocked by what they had seen and described seeing a mark like a shoe.

“Social services were informed and he was interviewed by police.

“He said he was happy at home but on this occasion he felt sad and upset that his mother had hit him. The boy told them that he had not slept well because of pain to his back.”

A doctor who examined the boy described the bruising to his back as ‘extensive and severe’.

She added that he had several impact marks, including a 7cm bruise across his shoulder and a large oval mark across the middle of his back.

The boy, now aged 12, was initially placed in foster care but has since been returned home.

Charles Ainley, defending, said that his mother had ended up on her own looking after the children after her husband left her.

He told magistrates that she had gone to the chemists and staff there told her that her son had been taking items from there over a period of time.

He said: “The defendant went home and challenged the young man. His attitude was not the best, that’s resulted in the defendant completely losing her temper and hitting the young man.

“She accepts what she did was wrong. She was unwell and not coping with four children on her own”.

Mr Ainley added: “When I was at school this never would have come to court but it’s a different world now.

“The biggest shock for her was when social services became involved and it was an issue whether she could keep the children. She’s genuinely sorry. On the whole she’s a caring, loving mother and she doesn’t want her son to go the wrong way and end up in court.”

Magistrates said they were satisfied that social services had no serious concerns about the child.

They gave the woman a conditional discharge for 12 months. They ordered her to pay £85 towards court costs.