A SON is to be sentenced next month after breaking a curfew not to contact his mother.

Christopher Berrow, from Emperor Way, Holmer, Hereford, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment after breaching a restraining order on conviction when he appeared via video link at Hereford Magistrates Court. 

Prosecutor Melanie Winterflood told the court that the 42-year-old had been released from prison following a previous assault on his mother, Susan that happened in 2021.

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A restraining order was imposed prohibiting him from contacting her or attending her address. However, upon his release, Miss Winterflood said, he started telephoning his mother, talking about his life, and even contacted her place of work. 

She added, that on March 6, Miss Berrow received two text messages which were apparently from the police stating that her son had been found dead in the river. 

Miss Berrow, said Miss Winterflood, knew that the messages wouldn't come from the police, however he was still her son, and it made her quite distressed.

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"She was at work when she received those messages and was sent home because of the trauma that those messages did," said Miss Winterflood. 

"While she was at home in the evening, her brother was with her.

"Mr Berrow attended the property and knocked on the door. She let him into the property, and he told her at the time he was collecting post that was meant for him.

"There were heated words between Mr Berrow and the brother because Mr Berrow was not meant to be there.

"Mrs Berrow said that, 'I am his mother but I would like him to go back to prison for my own safety'."

In defence, Marilena Di Vitantonio said that her client pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and is fully aware of the distress he has caused. 

"He never intended to cause that distress, he wasn't really aware of what he was doing," she said. 

"From January 27 until March 6 was when the breach occurred by him making continuous contact. Mr Berrow states that on January 27, he was released from prison and started to live in Hereford. 

"Phone calls took place on a regular basis, but she was happy to receive those calls when he was sober because he was a different person. 

"He was trying to persuade his mother that he had changed, but when drinking her became a different person."

Berrow was remanded in custody to appear before Worcester Crown for sentencing on May 31.