A man who threatened to slash his mother’s throat with a broken piece of china at her Felixstowe home has been jailed for four months.

Christopher Nock, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, turned up at his mother Valerie Fox’s home at around midnight and she let him into the house after hearing him shouting in the garden, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

“He wasn’t in a good mood and she assumed he’d taken drink or drugs,” said Catherine Bradshaw, prosecuting.

Nock swore at his mother and told her she was evil before smashing a china fruit bowl.

He had then picked up a broken piece of china and moved towards his mother saying: “I’m going to slash your throat.”

“She was scared and thought he could possibly cause her some harm,” said Miss Bradshaw.

She called her other son for help and also contacted the police.

Miss Bradshaw said that Nock’s mother had a close relationship with him when he wasn’t under the influence of drink and drugs.

Nock, 32, of Beacon Field, Felixstowe, admitted common assault on his mother and criminal damage to the fruit bowl and was jailed for four months.

Judge Emma Peters said that as Nock had been in custody for five months he would be released almost immediately.

She made a restraining order banning Nock from attending his mother’s home unless invited by her.

Judge Peters told Nock: “It’s clear you have put your mother through an awful lot over the past few years.

“You need to stay away from drink and drugs as these substances make things worse and make you reoffend,” she added.

Kelly Fernandez-Lee, for Nock, said her client had mental health issues and had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

She said that since he’d been in custody he’d been taking medication and was clean of drugs.

She said Nock felt “complete and utter remorse” for what he’d put his mother through.

She said he had spoken to his mother and she had invited him to stay with her on his release from custody.

Miss Fernandez-Lee said Nock acknowledged that he needed help with underlying issues, as well as support when he was released from prison.