A MAN attacked his mum after turning to drink when he lost his job.
Richard Halloran, 35, struck out at Moya Halloran when he returned home after boozing.
District Judge Hopkinson, sitting in Huddersfield, heard that the delivery driver had been suffering from depression after being made redundant.
Prosecutor Claire Larton said that Mrs Halloran was watching TV at her home in Hanover Gardens, Dewsbury, when her son turned on her.
The prosecutor said: “Her son just flipped out and punched her in the ribs, he then put his hands around her neck.
“They had not been in a verbal argument before the assault, it was an unprovoked blow by the defendant.”
Halloran, of Southfield Lane in Wakefield, dialled 999 himself after the assault.
Ms Larton said: “He said: ‘I’ve tried to kill my mum, she’s on the kitchen floor’.”
The court was told that Mrs Holloran suffered some discomfort in her ribs as a result of the blow.
Halloran told police that he had not been able to find work and was feeling depressed.
He said he was having repeated violent outburst that he was unable to control.
Halloran denied intending to kill his mum despite his comments in the phone call.
Simon Lindley, mitigating, described his client’s case as a sad state of affairs.
He said following his redundancy Halloran had attempted to retrain as a HGV driver, but had lost thousands when this scheme went bust.
Mr Lindley said: “Following the combination of the upset over the money and the loss of his job, he started drinking heavily.
“This incident took place when he was intoxicated and he can’t explain why it happened.”
Judge Hopkinson said that a full report was needed before Halloran can be sentenced on August 9. His bail conditions are that he does not contact his mum nor go near her home.
