A man repeatedly kicked his mother on the floor and said she could "lay there and die" during a drunken attack.

Dale Bowers, 53, had been out drinking in Attleborough before he returned to his mother’s home in the town and attacked her while drunk.

Norwich Magistrates Court heard he threw empty bottles of bleach and a metal pedal bin at her.

Anna Crayford, prosecuting, said Bowers continued to attack his mother who “fell to the floor”.

He kicked her “a number of times” as she lay on the floor and said: “You’re best laying on the floor - you can lay there and die”.

Bowers then went to the living room and fell asleep while the victim, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), remained on the floor.

She crawled to her bedroom, which took her an hour, before she was able to stand up and get dressed and contact police following the incident on December 9.

Miss Crayford said Bowers, who has a drink problem, had lived with his mother for about nine years following a relationship breakdown.

He had lost his job of 28 years before the attack on his mother, who he helped care for.

A statement from the victim said she was “heartbroken” and said she “can’t believe my own son assaulted his own mother”.

“I will never be able to trust him again.

“He frightens me so much, I will never feel safe again”.

She said she did not feel safe in her own home and insisted her son needed “serious help”.

Bowers, of no fixed address, appeared at court on Thursday (December 30) to be sentenced having previously admitted assault by beating.

Lucy Brakewell, mitigating, said Bowers was “remorseful and ashamed” of his behavior and wanted to indicate “how sorry he is to his mum”.

She said Bowers, who has spent 20 days in custody, “needs help”.

Bowers was given an 18 month community order, made up of 25 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) and an 80 day alcohol monitoring requirement.

Bowers was made the subject of a restraining order meaning he cannot go to his mother’s address for the next 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation and an £85 victim surcharge.