By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 12:08, Tuesday, 17 April 2012

A mother smacked her 11-year-old son and called him a weirdo after he couldn’t help look after his younger brother.

The woman hit him four or five times on his back and he phoned police to report an assault.

Carlisle magistrates’ court heard how the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, tried to lift his brother but was unable to. Defence solicitor Gail Heard said the mum admitted slapping her son because he had been “back-chatting and swearing at her.”

She questioned police at the time about whether she was allowed to hit her own child but now accepted her actions went ‘further than parental chastisement.’

The court was told the mother was under extreme stress at the time of the assault.

The woman, from Penrith, was given a one year community order after admitted assault or ill treatment of a child, likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.

First published at 11:24, Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk