A heavy-drinking bully who hurled spiteful abuse at his own mum, threw a table at her and damaged walls on her home during a ill-tempered argument has been branded a “spoilt, pathetic brat”.
Tree surgeon Karl Robson boldly ignored a two-year suspended jail sentence that he had been given just a few weeks earlier for a violent attack on his former lover when he headbutted, strangled and kicked her.
However, he managed to convince a second judge not to jail him after talking his way out of trouble and complaining that being stuck in prison was a “horrible place to be”.
His plea for yet another chance came after he represented himself at court instead of having a barrister.
Robson, 35, admitted assaulting his mother and causing criminal damage on May 2.
Harry Bradford, prosecuting, said that Robson’s mother was at home at 6am when he returned there intoxicated through either drugs or alcohol and knocked on the door to be allowed in, report Hull Live. He went to lie on the sofa.
Robson, from Hull, caused a mess in the kitchen and she asked him if he had taken any drugs. “He was abusive to his mother and was swearing at her,” said Mr Bradford.
Robson told her: “What did you f***ing say? Who the f*** do you think you are?” He threw bed clothes and the confrontation escalated. He punched the kitchen walls and window, causing damage. His mother tried to defuse the situation by walking out of the kitchen and away.
But Robson followed her into the living room, called her a “f***ing sl*g” and raised his fist in a way that caused her genuine fear. He warned her: “Go on then, get me arrested. See what I f***ing do to you.”
He continued to berate her and threw a table at her but luckily it did not hit her. “He shouted, swore and made threats towards her before he walked out of the house,” said Mr Bradford. Robson was arrested after an area search for him.
While in custody, he continued to make threats towards his mother and said: “Wait till I get home. My Mum is in trouble.” He later denied making threats.
“She is upset at having to report her son to the police but can’t have this abuse and can’t allow him to threaten her,” said Mr Bradford. “She feels he needs to learn a lesson. It’s not acceptable behaviour.”
The mother said: “I don’t think jail is the right place for Karl. He was drunk and under the influence. I know Karl didn’t intend to behave badly.”
Robson had convictions for 30 previous offences and in April had been given a two-year suspended prison sentence for assault causing actual bodily harm.
In that incident, Robson viciously headbutted, strangled and kicked his terrified girlfriend after bizarrely demanding to know why she had supposedly been messaging the rapper Slim Shady.
Trouble flared after they returned in the early hours from a party and fired-up Robson became “more menacing” and accused her of being in contact with Slim Shady, better known as the sinister alter ego of American rapper Eminem.
He was “going mental” during the ferocious attack and dragged her around the kitchen, put his hands around her throat so that she could not breathe and tried to bite her, the court heard that day.
Robson, who had been in custody for about a month after the latest offences, told the court via a video link from Hull Prison: “I would like to apologise to my Mum. I am really sorry for arguing with her. I have been very stressed lately. I made the wrong decision.
“I have been in here for a month. This is a horrible place to be. I am totally cut off from people I care about. I don’t want this life. I am better than that. I want different. I made a mistake by having a drink.
“I made the wrong decision and I apologise for that. I am not excusing my behaviour.” He added that he had been working as a tree surgeon for Hull City Council.
Recorder Kate Batty told Robson: “You behaved like a bully towards your Mum, who was giving you a roof over your head. She is entitled not to be disturbed by you. She had no idea how this was going to end. You threw a table towards her and continued to threaten her.
“You behaved like a spoilt, pathetic brat. There is only person who can sort your drink problem out and that is you. You need to grow up and stop drinking. She is not to blame at all, only you.”
Robson was given a two-month suspended prison sentence, a Building Better Relationships course and 20 days’ rehabilitation.
Updated, Monday 8.30am: The new two-month suspended sentence will now run consecutively alongside the previous two-year suspended sentence, meaning that if Robson commits any new offences, he will face being jailed through a potential term of two years and two months being activated.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
