A drunk son threatened to kill his own mother while holding a knife to her throat during a terrifying attack in her own home.
Wayne Rollin also strangled the elderly victim until she nearly passed out and spat on her, all in front of his petrified 85-year-old father, a court heard. Rollin then threw a vase at the woman and punched her in the stomach before he eventually calmed down and was disarmed.
Newcastle Crown Court was told that the 46-year-old, who has a history of mental health difficulties, including a personality disorder, had been staying with his parents in their Northumberland home in August last year. Trouble first flared one evening when Rollin had drank a bottle of port and became abusive toward his mother, saying he hated her and wanted her to die, prosecutors said.
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He then bent down and called her a pig before spitting in her face. The police were called and Rollin temporarily stayed with a friend before being invited back the following day.
Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said Rollin once more became aggressive, telling his parents he hated them. Mr Pallister continued: "At 7.30pm, his mother was asleep upstairs when she awoke to raised voices in the sitting room. She went downstairs and found the defendant shouting at her husband. He was shouting "You want to shut up, I wish you never bore me, you don't love me"."
The court heard that Rollin's parents tried to calm him down but he repeatedly said he was going to kill them with a knife and he pushed his father onto a chair when he said he was going to call the police. When he tried to get up, Rollin pushed him back down.
Mr Pallister said: "His mother said she was going to call the police and the defendant said "You're not calling anyone, I'm going to kill you". He pushed her against the sofa. The defendant left the sitting room taking the phone with him and saying "you're not calling anyone".
"When he returned, he had a large kitchen knife, about eight inches in length, and said "I'm going to kill you, the devil is inside me". He grabbed his mother by her neck and tried to strangle her. She fell of the sofa and hit her head on the table. The defendant continued to have his hand around her neck. She believed he would no let go until she was unconscious.
"The defendant then held the knife to her throat and said "I'm going to slit your throat" and he spat on her again. He then picked up a vase and threw it at her and punched her in the stomach."
The court heard that, while Rollin was assaulting his 78-year-old mother, his dad tried to intervene but Rollin pulled the knife on him and said "You better sit down now, we're all going, I'm going to kill you both and myself". He then stood in the doorway and prevented his parents from leaving the room.
Eventually, Rollin calmed down and gave the knife to his father, Mr Pallister said. The police then turned up after a concerned neighbour had called 999.
In a statement, Rollin's mum said: "Wayne has never assaulted me before and I never thought Wayne would do this to me. I'm shocked Wayne has done this and I don't think I will ever get over this. I no longer wish for him to be in my home."
In a separate statement, his dad said: "I believed I was going to watch my wife being killed in front of my eyes and, because of my age and Wayne's strength, there was nothing I could do about it."
The court heard that Rollin had been diagnosed with a Cluster B personality disorder and had been in a psychiatric hospital in the past. Kate Barnes, defending, added: "He admits he was drinking heavily and abusing drugs at the time and he was increasingly paranoid and unstable."
Rollin pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating, one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one of making threats with a bladed article and one of threats to kill.
Jailing Rollin, of no fixed abode but originally from Ashington, for two years, Recorder Mark Giuliani said the incident had been extremely distressing for his parents. He added: "You have insight into your mental health disorder but, notwithstanding that, you disengaged with the mental health services and sought solace in illegal drugs and alcohol. You knew that these made you mental health disorder worse."
Recorder Giuliani said that, because Rollin drank alcohol and took drugs, his sentence could not be suspended.
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