A man told his mother "I am the reaper" before smashing her head off a kitchen worktop during a violent attack.
Michael Devlin carried out the terrifying attack after his behaviour became increasingly bizarre and left his mother with a bloodied face. The 32-year-old then went on to attack police officers and spat at them during his arrest and left them scared of potential infection.
Devlin, of Reynolds Avenue, South Shields, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court last week to be sentenced for two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, damaging property, and assault of an emergency worker. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
