Published at 10:29, Saturday, 30 January 2010

A 15-YEAR-OLD threatened his mum with an 18-inch blade when she refused to give him money as a birthday present, a court heard.

Furness Youth Court was told the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, got up around lunchtime on his birthday last month and looked for his mum.

Mrs Lesley Duhig, prosecuting, told magistrates: “He found her in the bedroom and began to demand money as his birthday present.

“His mother did not want to give him money because she feared he would spend it on drugs and told him she would buy him something.

“He was upset and became abusive, saying: ‘why are you spoiling my birthday? I just want money’.

“She told him she did not have any money and would not until she went to the post office and would then give him £20.

“He walked downstairs and took a kitchen knife with an 18-inch blade and threatened her by holding it in her face and shouted abusive language.”Mrs Duhig said the boy then went back downstairs and his mum checked on her other children before going down to “placate” him.

Mrs Duhig said the boy went into the garden and, at one stage, threatened to use an object to break a neighbour’s window.

Police arrived and took him to Barrow Police Station, where he admitted he had problems controlling his anger.

Mrs Duhig said he also told police he often bought cannabis and that was why his mum refused to give him money.

He said he “completely lost control”, but was unsure why.

His mum did not wish to prosecute, but the Crown Prosecution Service deemed the incident serious enough to warrant prosecution.

Mr Mike Graham, defending, said: “He acknowledges and accepts what he did.

“His only contention is he did not wave or threaten his mother with a knife and that he did not have it in his hand when he confronted her.”

Mr Graham told magistrates the boy comes from a “fractured family” and said: “It’s a single-parent household where drink features quite significantly and where there is little support. He is basically independent.”

The youth said: “I know what I’ve done is wrong. But my mam winds me up. It’s not just me that’s in the wrong, it’s my mam as well. She was shouting in my face.”

The boy is charged with using or threatening unlawful violence so another person would reasonably fear for their safety.

He pleaded guilty earlier this month.

Following yesterday's hearing, magistrates adjourned the case until next Friday so they can review the case in more detail.

The boy was ordered to stick to his curfew between 9pm and 7am daily at a family member’s address.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk