THE mother of a drug addict had to move home eight times to escape dealers pestering her over his debts. Lee Daniels made Sheena Musgrave's life such a "hell" that she contemplated suicide.
She often gave him money "for a quiet life" and her possessions were put into pawn shops to help fund his need for drugs, which he had been taking since the age of 15 or 16, Hull Crown Court heard.
But Daniels, 23, repaid that support by trying to steal her last £10, spitting in her face, assaulting her, and threatening her with a large bread knife and a glass candle holder.
Even Daniels's own barrister described his conduct as "disgraceful".
Matters came to a head at 1pm on January 17 when Ms Musgrave and Daniels, who was staying with her, were waiting to get the keys to his flat.
She spoke to her partner about using the last £10 of her benefits to buy gas and electric, but Daniels overheard and asked to use her phone.
When he returned it she found he had sent a text message asking for drugs and she knew he did not have the money to pay for them.
Daniels was asked to leave and he replied by telling his mother to "get out of his face", the court heard, and threatened to "do her".
A neighbour came round and received similar threats, and Daniels continued to be aggressive before spitting in his mother's face.
As she turned away, he punched her in her back, and Ms Musgrave ran upstairs and dialled 999.
Daniels told her: "Give me a tenner and I'll go."
He then "lunged" at her, picked up the candle holder, and she described him "going at her" while she was still on the phone to the emergency services.
Ms Musgrave ran downstairs, chased by Daniels, and he armed himself with the knife and "thrust it towards her", Wendy Foster, prosecuting, said. Ms Musgrave sought refuge in the bathroom and police arrived to find the knife had been thrown on the cooker.
She did not suffer any injuries but was said to be "petrified".
A PC Mowbray who attended found Daniels still being aggressive and in an "agitated state" in the living room.
He was arrested and although he admitted attacking his mother, he claimed he was "defending himself" and denied using the knife.
Ms Musgrave did not make a formal victim impact statement, but said Daniels had been causing problems for the past seven years, describing it as "being like hell", Mrs Foster said.
The court heard Daniels had 11 previous convictions for 21 offences, including possession of heroin, but the record did not include a four-week prison sentence he received in April for shop theft.
His long-suffering mother continued to support him.
Daniels of Mirfield Grove, east Hull, denied attempted robbery but pleaded guilty to affray.
Jailing him for 15 months, Judge Michael Mettyear told him: "As your counsel says, this was disgraceful behaviour.
"Your mother has done so much to try to help you and you don't appreciate it. It may well be that it's because of drugs.
"The fact is that when you're in the grip of drugs, which seems to be most of the time, you act in a way that's just designed to suit your needs rather than anybody else's at all.
"You don't deserve a chance, only a custodial sentence is justified."
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