A SON was branded as “a bully of worst kind” before being jailed for strangling his vulnerable 70-year-old mother.

Huw Thomas moved into her home towards the end of last year despite being banned from contacting her by a restraining order.

The defendant, 39, from Cwmbran, also stole £500 from his mum when he twice used her bank card to withdraw money from a cashpoint.

Alcoholic Thomas has a history of committing domestic abuse offences against her, prosecutor James Evans told Newport Crown Court.

The judge, Recorder Sean Bradley, told the defendant: “You put your hands around her neck and you strangled her for 30 to 60 seconds which prevented her from breathing.

“Your mother said she thought she was going to die.

“In addition you stole £500 from her bank account.

“She was scared and she felt like a prisoner in her own home and was afraid for her life.”

Recorder Bradley added: “This is the third time that you've been in these courts for abusing your mother.

“You have an unhealthy dependency on alcohol.

“She was clearly vulnerable and what is clear to me is that you are a bully of the worst kind.

“You frightened and abused her.

“I think it's difficult to think of a more serious case of breaching a restraining order – you moved again with the person that you were not meant to be contacting.

“This had a serious impact on your mother.”

Thomas pleaded guilty to breach of a restraining order, intentional strangulation, assault by beating and theft.

He had a previous conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his mother from 2020.

Tom Roberts representing Thomas said: “He’s ashamed of his behaviour and there is genuine remorse.

“There’s no hiding that alcohol is the cause of his offending.”

The court heard that the university educated defendant had been a “successful professional”.

Thomas had separated from his partner in 2018 and lost his sister a year later.

He was jailed for 33 months and made the subject of an indefinite restraining order not to contact his mother.